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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. scale — size or range
  5. object — to protest
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. scale — in music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rule — a law
  12. charge — a price
  13. rule — government
  14. degree — from a university
  15. charge — electricity
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. degree — temperature
  21. charge — in control
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. object — a thing
  24. bowl — to roll

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