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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. degree — from a university
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. rule — government
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rule — a law
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. kid — child
  13. ground — a position
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. kid — to tease
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. charge — a price
  23. degree — an amount
  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