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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. track — to keep track
  5. kid — to tease
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. track — a path
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. degree — an amount
  15. charge — electricity
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. track — a song
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. degree — temperature
  21. charge — in control
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. charge — a price
  24. degree — from a university

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