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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 120 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. degree — from a university
  5. charge — in control
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — electricity
  10. current — happening now
  11. can — to be able to
  12. degree — temperature
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. squash — the sport
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. can — a tin
  17. degree — an amount
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. content — the amount
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. plane — a tool
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. squash — to crush

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