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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. staff — employees
  3. court — for sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. sharp — clever
  6. staff — employees
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. staff — a stick
  10. charge — a price
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. court — of a king
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. court — of law
  23. charge — electricity
  24. degree — from a university

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