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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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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. charge — in control
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. degree — an amount
  9. court — for sport
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. court — of law
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bear — the animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. court — of a king
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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