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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. charge — a price
  3. mate — to breed
  4. charge — electricity
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. suit — to fit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mate — a friend
  19. suit — in cards
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. chip — to eat

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