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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cap — a lid
  3. degree — temperature
  4. squash — the sport
  5. degree — from a university
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cap — of ice
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. squash — to crush
  18. charge — a price
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stock — goods
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stock — shares
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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