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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. court — for sport
  3. charge — a price
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. charge — in control
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. court — of a king
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mate — a partner
  10. court — of law
  11. charge — electricity
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. degree — temperature
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mate — to breed
  21. tube — a container
  22. mate — a friend
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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