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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. degree — temperature
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. charge — a price
  5. wound — an injury
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rule — government
  10. club — for golf
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. tube — a container
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. club — a group
  22. tube — the underground
  23. degree — from a university
  24. club — for dancing

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