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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. drill — army training
  4. tear — from crying
  5. degree — from a university
  6. drill — the tool
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. degree — temperature
  11. charge — in control
  12. rule — government
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — a law
  16. charge — a price
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bank — for money
  19. drill — a practice
  20. foot — a measure
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bank — of a river
  24. foot — the bottom

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