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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. degree — temperature
  3. charge — in control
  4. drill — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. firm — a company
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. drill — a practice
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fork — in a road
  13. face — to confront
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. drill — army training
  17. face — to point toward
  18. degree — an amount
  19. face — part of the head
  20. saw — the tool
  21. firm — steady
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. firm — decided
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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