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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: spell · mug · last · press · pitcher · present · degree · can

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mug — a face
  3. present — the time now
  4. last — to go on
  5. present — a gift
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mug — to rob
  9. degree — an amount
  10. press — to push
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — temperature
  13. present — there
  14. spell — a short time
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. last — finally
  20. can — a tin
  21. press — a publisher
  22. spell — letters
  23. can — to be able to
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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