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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cell — in biology
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — a tin
  7. board — a committee
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — in control
  10. prune — to trim
  11. degree — temperature
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. degree — an amount
  16. charge — a price
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — to get on
  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