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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. band — a ring
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. suit — to fit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. suit — in cards
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. suit — clothes
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. charge — a price
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bank — for money
  21. degree — temperature
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. toast — bread

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