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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.

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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: cue · deal · lie · tube · degree · bass · press · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. degree — an amount
  3. press — newspapers
  4. tube — the underground
  5. degree — temperature
  6. press — to push
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bass — low music
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — a container
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cue — a signal
  16. foot — a measure
  17. press — a publisher
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cue — a hint

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