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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. season — in sport
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. season — of the year
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. charge — electricity
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. toast — bread
  11. stock — shares
  12. mark — a grade
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. degree — an amount
  20. charge — a price
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stock — goods
  23. charge — in control
  24. stock — a soup base

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