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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. present — the time now
  4. degree — temperature
  5. charge — in control
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. degree — from a university
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — a safe
  21. present — a gift
  22. wax — to grow
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. present — there

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