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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stand — to bear
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. charge — electricity
  21. club — for golf
  22. charge — in control
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fork — a garden tool

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