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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. capital — money
  3. mug — a cup
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. charge — in control
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stock — shares
  8. charge — a price
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stock — goods
  15. mug — to rob
  16. dip — to sink
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. capital — a city
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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