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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 116 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. chair — a leader
  8. charge — a price
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — in control
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. can — to be able 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