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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. season — in sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — of the year
  5. charge — in control
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — electricity
  11. march — music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — a series
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. degree — temperature
  20. charge — a price
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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