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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. charge — a price
  3. ball — a great time
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hand — in cards
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — from a university
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cell — in biology
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. hand — help
  16. object — a thing
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kick — in football
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. degree — an amount
  24. charge — in control

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