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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 120 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 is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. spell — a short time
  3. charge — a price
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spell — letters
  6. track — to keep track
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — in control
  9. spell — magic
  10. scale — in music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. track — a path
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stand — to bear
  22. degree — an amount
  23. ground — crushed
  24. degree — from a university

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