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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. charge — in control
  3. bound — obliged
  4. band — a music group
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rock — music
  10. court — of law
  11. charge — electricity
  12. toast — bread
  13. bound — certain
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. court — for sport
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wind — moving air
  20. court — of a king
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. band — a ring
  24. charge — a price

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