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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. court — of a king
  3. charge — in control
  4. craft — a skill
  5. charge — a price
  6. deal — to handle
  7. scale — in music
  8. craft — boats
  9. court — for sport
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. court — of law
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mate — a partner
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. deal — an agreement

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