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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. degree — an amount
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chip — for betting
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rock — music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. tube — a container
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. charge — in control
  24. racket — for tennis

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