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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. track — a path
  8. degree — temperature
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. shower — to wash
  13. tube — a container
  14. degree — from a university
  15. shower — rain
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. charge — a price
  21. mine — for digging
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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