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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 120 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: mouse · field · pass · fan · suit · press · swing · degree

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. swing — music
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. field — farmland
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — temperature
  21. swing — in golf
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fan — to cool the air

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