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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. spell — letters
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. charge — a price
  5. bear — the animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rock — music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. spell — magic
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. present — the time now
  18. rock — a stone
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. degree — temperature
  24. spell — a short time

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