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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ground — a position
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ground — the earth
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. charge — in control
  8. ground — crushed
  9. capital — money
  10. fine — all right
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fine — high quality
  15. charge — a price
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tube — a container
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. capital — a city

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