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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pit — a hole
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. charge — a price
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. degree — from a university
  11. charge — in control
  12. kid — to tease
  13. content — happy
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — the amount
  16. charge — electricity
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. kid — child
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. degree — an amount
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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