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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cap — a lid
  3. present — there
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fine — high quality
  10. squash — to crush
  11. present — the time now
  12. season — in sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. charge — electricity
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rest — a break
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — in control
  21. cap — of ice
  22. season — of the year
  23. charge — a price
  24. cap — a hat

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