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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. snap — to click
  3. degree — temperature
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. charge — a price
  6. degree — from a university
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stand — to bear
  10. march — music
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. charge — in control
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bank — of a river
  20. charge — electricity
  21. march — the month
  22. bank — for money
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fork — a garden tool

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