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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. key — in music
  5. staff — employees
  6. degree — an amount
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. charge — electricity
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stand — to bear
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ground — a position
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. charge — in control
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. charge — a price
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ball — a great time
  24. degree — from a university

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