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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pass — a permit
  4. capital — money
  5. degree — from a university
  6. capital — a city
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. charge — in control
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kick — in football
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bass — low music
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. charge — a price
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. charge — electricity
  19. key — the most important part
  20. degree — an amount
  21. key — in music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. key — for a lock

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