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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. degree — temperature
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. object — a thing
  9. fine — all right
  10. charge — in control
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. tube — the underground
  13. sharp — clever
  14. charge — a price
  15. rule — government
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rule — a law
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fine — high quality
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. degree — from a university

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