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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chip — to eat
  6. charge — in control
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. degree — temperature
  9. charge — a price
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mark — a trace
  14. degree — an amount
  15. charge — electricity
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. court — of law
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. court — for sport
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. degree — from a university
  23. court — of a king
  24. rush — to hurry

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