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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. charge — a price
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bass — the fish
  10. charge — in control
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mate — to breed
  24. perch — for a bird

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