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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. court — of law
  4. stock — shares
  5. cap — of ice
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — in control
  9. spring — the season
  10. court — for sport
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. charge — a price
  13. degree — an amount
  14. court — of a king
  15. cap — a lid
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spring — of water
  19. bank — for money
  20. spring — a coil
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. cap — a hat

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