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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. present — there
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. present — a gift
  5. can — to be able to
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. charge — in control
  9. present — the time now
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wake — a trail
  14. season — of the year
  15. charge — a price
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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