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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stand — to bear
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bass — low music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. charge — a price
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pound — a weight
  10. charge — electricity
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. key — in music
  16. charge — in control
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. degree — an amount
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. dip — to sink
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. capital — money

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