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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bank — of a river
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cap — of ice
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. tube — the underground
  9. charge — in control
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cap — a lid
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — temperature
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — a price
  22. bound — certain
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cap — a hat

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