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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. charge — electricity
  3. net — in sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. degree — temperature
  7. charge — in control
  8. net — after costs
  9. key — for a lock
  10. net — for catching
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rule — government
  15. charge — a price
  16. prune — to trim
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — in music
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. prune — the fruit

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