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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. charge — electricity
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. charge — a price
  8. mate — to breed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mate — a partner
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. charge — in control
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — ministers

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