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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — the season
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. charge — in control
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — a trail
  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