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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cue — a hint
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — a path
  7. cue — a signal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. snap — to click
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cue — for pool
  22. degree — temperature
  23. craft — boats
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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