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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. degree — from a university
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cap — a hat
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. charge — in control
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cap — a lid
  9. board — to get on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cap — of ice
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. charge — a price
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. degree — temperature
  19. board — a committee
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. degree — an amount
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. charge — electricity

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