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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — an aim
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — electricity
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — from a university
  10. object — a thing
  11. degree — an amount
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. charge — a price
  15. mark — a grade
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. object — to protest
  21. field — a subject
  22. bat — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. mark — a trace

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