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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 116 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. suit — in cards
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. degree — temperature
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. charge — in control
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stock — goods
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stock — shares
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. capital — a city
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rash — a series

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