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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bound — tied together
  5. degree — from a university
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mug — a face
  10. cap — a hat
  11. degree — temperature
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. charge — a price
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bound — obliged
  21. degree — an amount
  22. charge — in control
  23. bound — certain
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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