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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. charge — electricity
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. key — for a lock
  22. degree — temperature
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. key — 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