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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. court — of a king
  3. present — the time now
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fine — high quality
  6. present — there
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fine — all right
  10. charge — in control
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. degree — an amount
  15. charge — a price
  16. degree — temperature
  17. court — for sport
  18. suit — clothes
  19. present — a gift
  20. charge — electricity
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. court — of law
  24. suit — to fit

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