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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. club — a group
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stock — shares
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — electricity
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — in control
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cold — an illness
  13. charge — a price
  14. can — to be able to
  15. club — for golf
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. degree — temperature
  21. club — for dancing
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cold — not warm

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