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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fine — all right
  3. charge — electricity
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bank — for money
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fine — high quality
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. capital — money
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. bank — for money
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — of a river
  22. capital — a city
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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