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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — temperature
  3. present — the time now
  4. degree — from a university
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. saw — the tool
  7. field — a subject
  8. present — there
  9. charge — in control
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. content — the amount
  16. degree — an amount
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to click
  22. present — a gift
  23. content — happy
  24. can — to be able to

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