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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. staff — employees
  3. kid — child
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — in control
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. degree — from a university
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pound — a weight
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. kid — to tease
  18. dip — to sink
  19. degree — an amount
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. charge — electricity
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pound — to hit hard

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