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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 116 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rock — music
  4. degree — temperature
  5. kid — to tease
  6. charge — electricity
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stock — shares
  9. degree — from a university
  10. press — to push
  11. mark — a grade
  12. land — ground
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. land — a country
  20. charge — in control
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stock — goods
  23. kid — child
  24. land — to come down

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