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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fine — high quality
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fine — all right
  9. season — of the year
  10. pit — a hole
  11. degree — temperature
  12. charge — electricity
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. season — in sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. charge — in control
  22. degree — an amount
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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