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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. track — to keep track
  3. degree — from a university
  4. charge — a price
  5. track — a song
  6. roll — a list
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. object — an aim
  10. bass — the fish
  11. dip — to sink
  12. land — to come down
  13. object — a thing
  14. track — a path
  15. degree — temperature
  16. object — to protest
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. land — a country
  19. degree — an amount
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. land — ground
  24. bass — low music

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