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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mug — to rob
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mate — to breed
  9. charge — a price
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mug — a face
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — in control
  15. mate — a partner
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mate — a friend
  24. plane — in geometry

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