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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. march — the month
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. march — the month
  8. deal — to handle
  9. march — music
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. fork — in a road
  15. saw — the tool
  16. net — in sport
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. net — for catching
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. kick — in football
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — after costs
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fork — a garden tool

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