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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. charge — a price
  3. suit — to fit
  4. degree — temperature
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. charge — electricity
  8. suit — in cards
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. degree — an amount
  12. charge — in control
  13. game — a match
  14. degree — from a university
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wake — a trail
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. press — to push
  24. suit — clothes

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