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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — in music
  3. shower — to wash
  4. charge — electricity
  5. scale — size or range
  6. track — a path
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. degree — an amount
  9. key — for a lock
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. degree — temperature
  13. charge — in control
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. track — to keep track
  16. degree — from a university
  17. track — a song
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — the most important part
  24. scale — in music

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