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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. charge — in control
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. charge — a price
  11. pop — to visit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. field — a subject
  14. mug — to rob
  15. charge — electricity
  16. field — farmland
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mug — a face
  19. degree — from a university
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — soda
  22. field — for sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pop — music

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