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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. degree — from a university
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. rest — a break
  16. degree — an amount
  17. drill — the tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. drill — army training
  24. rule — to rule out

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