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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. degree — temperature
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ball — a dance
  7. firm — steady
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. degree — an amount
  10. charge — in control
  11. firm — a company
  12. charge — a price
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stand — to bear
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tube — a container
  19. wax — to grow
  20. degree — from a university
  21. firm — decided
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. tube — the underground

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