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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. track — a song
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. net — for catching
  5. charge — a price
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. degree — temperature
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — a path
  10. degree — an amount
  11. charge — electricity
  12. court — for sport
  13. rush — hurry
  14. net — after costs
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. net — in sport
  17. court — of law
  18. degree — from a university
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bass — the fish
  22. charge — in control
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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