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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 120 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ball — a dance
  3. squash — to crush
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — in control
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. key — in music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wind — moving air
  16. key — for a lock
  17. charge — electricity
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wind — moving air
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. key — the most important part
  24. degree — an amount

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