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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. charge — electricity
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. ground — crushed
  9. degree — from a university
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. charge — a price
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. game — a match
  14. charge — in control
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. roll — a list
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ground — a position
  21. snap — to click
  22. dip — to sink
  23. roll — a cake
  24. game — wild animals

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