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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. charge — a price
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bark — to shout
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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