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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. perch — the fish
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stock — goods
  7. bound — certain
  8. stock — shares
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cap — a lid
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. degree — an amount
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bound — tied together
  16. object — to protest
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. object — an aim
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bound — obliged
  24. charge — electricity

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