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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. charge — a price
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. charge — electricity
  5. degree — temperature
  6. charge — in control
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stock — shares
  10. pop — music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stock — goods
  17. lie — to recline
  18. tube — a container
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pop — soda
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. degree — an amount
  24. scale — in music

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