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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stock — goods
  7. degree — an amount
  8. staff — employees
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — in control
  11. staff — a stick
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — a hat
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cap — a lid
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stock — shares
  19. charge — a price
  20. degree — from a university
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. mate — a partner
  24. staff — employees

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