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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spell — letters
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. degree — from a university
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bass — low music
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spell — a short time
  12. root — of a word
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spell — magic
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. charge — in control
  19. degree — temperature
  20. root — the cause
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. sharp — clever
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bass — the fish

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