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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mark — a grade
  4. court — for sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. degree — from a university
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — a price
  9. court — of law
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mark — a trace
  12. band — a ring
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cap — a lid
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. charge — in control
  19. degree — temperature
  20. court — of a king
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rock — music

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