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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — temperature
  3. charge — in control
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. degree — from a university
  6. roll — a list
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. degree — an amount

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