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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · capital · mug · present · tube · degree · kick · press

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bound — obliged
  4. press — to push
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. present — a gift
  8. bound — certain
  9. degree — an amount
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. press — newspapers
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mug — a face
  14. capital — a city
  15. bound — tied together
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mug — to rob
  18. capital — money
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mug — a cup
  21. degree — from a university
  22. press — a publisher
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com