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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. key — in music
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. can — a tin
  8. charge — electricity
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stock — shares
  13. key — the most important part
  14. charge — in control
  15. stock — goods
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — a price
  19. degree — temperature
  20. can — a tin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — to be able to
  23. tube — the underground
  24. degree — from a university

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