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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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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rest — what's left
  4. degree — temperature
  5. can — to be able to
  6. charge — in control
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. degree — from a university
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. can — a tin
  15. rest — a break
  16. bound — tied together
  17. charge — a price
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bound — certain
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bound — obliged
  24. degree — an amount

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