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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. degree — temperature
  20. can — to be able to
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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