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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a song
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cell — in biology
  6. track — a path
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. charge — a price
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. degree — from a university
  18. band — a ring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. band — a music group
  23. vault — a safe
  24. track — to keep track

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