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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. suit — clothes
  4. degree — from a university
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. mug — a cup
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. suit — to fit
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mug — a face
  22. charge — a price
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cold — the Cold War

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