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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fine — all right
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cell — a phone
  8. degree — temperature
  9. charge — in control
  10. row — to paddle
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — high quality
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — a price
  18. fork — in a road
  19. row — a line
  20. degree — an amount
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fork — to eat with

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