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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. degree — an amount
  3. stock — shares
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bank — of a river
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. charge — a price
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stock — goods
  22. field — for sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. charge — in control

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