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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — in control
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — to bend
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — thin
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stock — shares
  14. bound — certain
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rush — hurry
  18. charge — a price
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bound — tied together
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rush — a thrill

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