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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. degree — an amount
  4. craft — boats
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. charge — a price
  8. chair — a leader
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. capital — a city
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. capital — money
  15. charge — in control
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chip — to eat
  20. perch — the fish
  21. craft — a skill
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. charge — electricity
  24. degree — temperature

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