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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. charge — electricity
  4. degree — an amount
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — electric
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. charge — in control
  12. current — of water
  13. charge — a price
  14. spring — the season
  15. bank — for money
  16. spring — of water
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bank — for money
  19. current — happening now
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bank — of a river
  23. degree — from a university
  24. tube — the underground

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