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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. chip — to eat
  4. degree — an amount
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. field — a subject
  9. cell — a phone
  10. charge — in control
  11. degree — temperature
  12. charge — a price
  13. rush — hurry
  14. snap — to click
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. degree — from a university
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. calf — a young animal

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