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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. craft — a skill
  5. charge — in control
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. craft — boats
  9. date — the fruit
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pass — a permit
  15. degree — an amount
  16. charge — a price
  17. mug — a face
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. degree — temperature
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mug — a cup
  24. ruler — for measuring

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