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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. charge — electricity
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pass — a permit
  8. charge — a price
  9. stock — shares
  10. tube — the underground
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. craft — boats
  15. snap — to click
  16. stock — goods
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fork — in a road
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. degree — temperature
  24. craft — a skill

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