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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. key — in music
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. court — of a king
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. court — of law
  11. shower — rain
  12. charge — a price
  13. shower — to wash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. key — the most important part
  18. saw — the tool
  19. degree — from a university
  20. charge — in control
  21. foot — a measure
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. charge — electricity
  24. court — for sport

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