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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rash — a series
  4. tube — a container
  5. charge — a price
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — army training
  8. game — a match
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bank — of a river
  11. game — wild animals
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. charge — electricity
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. degree — from a university
  21. tube — the underground
  22. drill — a practice
  23. vault — a safe
  24. degree — temperature

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