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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 120 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stock — goods
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lean — to bend
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lean — thin
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. charge — a price
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cap — a lid
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stock — shares
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. degree — an amount

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