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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. charge — in control
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stock — shares
  12. game — wild animals
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stock — goods
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. charge — electricity
  17. game — a match
  18. bulb — for light

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