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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stock — shares
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — a series
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spell — letters
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — goods
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. charge — a price
  20. degree — temperature
  21. spell — magic
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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