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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. court — of law
  3. file — a document
  4. court — for sport
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. file — a line of people
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spell — letters
  11. charge — in control
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spell — magic
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. court — of a king
  18. fine — all right
  19. charge — a price
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. degree — temperature
  23. file — a tool
  24. charge — electricity

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