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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.

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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wound — an injury
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. charge — a price
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bark — to shout
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — the animal

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