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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rash — hasty
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spring — the season
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pit — in a race
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bound — certain
  13. charge — in control
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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