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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bound — tied together
  3. degree — temperature
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bound — obliged
  9. scale — in music
  10. file — a tool
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. charge — electricity
  13. game — wild animals
  14. file — a document
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bound — certain
  18. scale — size or range
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rash — hasty
  22. game — a match
  23. degree — from a university
  24. foot — the bottom

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