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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mark — a grade
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rest — a break
  6. degree — temperature
  7. capital — a city
  8. cap — a hat
  9. charge — in control
  10. rest — what's left
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — a price
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cap — of ice
  15. capital — money
  16. charge — electricity
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rest — what's left
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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