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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — electricity
  3. roll — a list
  4. kick — in football
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. charge — a price
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. march — the month
  11. roll — a cake
  12. degree — an amount
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. march — music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. date — the fruit
  19. charge — in control
  20. degree — temperature
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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