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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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Word bank
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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fine — all right
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. charge — electricity
  11. spell — magic
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pass — a permit
  14. charge — in control
  15. ball — a dance
  16. charge — a price
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. spell — letters
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. degree — an amount
  24. kick — in football

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