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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 120 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. charge — a price
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. tube — a container
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stem — to come from
  19. foot — a measure
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rash — a series
  22. degree — temperature
  23. tube — the underground
  24. key — in music

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