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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. wax — to grow
  3. charge — a price
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. scale — in music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bank — of a river
  8. degree — temperature
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. tube — a container
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — the underground
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bank — for money

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