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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. staff — employees
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. object — a thing
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. object — to protest
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mark — a trace
  13. degree — temperature
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chip — to eat
  16. degree — an amount
  17. object — an aim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fall — to drop
  21. charge — in control
  22. staff — employees
  23. charge — a price
  24. staff — a stick

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