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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. last — final
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. charge — in control
  5. net — after costs
  6. degree — temperature
  7. last — to go on
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. degree — an amount
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rule — a law
  12. present — the time now
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — a price
  15. net — in sport
  16. last — finally
  17. present — a gift
  18. rule — government
  19. degree — from a university
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. net — for catching
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. present — there

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