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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. charge — in control
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. march — music
  9. suit — to fit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. degree — from a university
  15. drill — a practice
  16. march — the month
  17. bear — the animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. suit — in cards
  20. drill — army training
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. march — the month
  24. suit — clothes

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