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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. charge — electricity
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. object — a thing
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. charge — a price
  8. net — for catching
  9. degree — an amount
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. object — to protest
  13. net — after costs
  14. object — an aim
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. key — in music
  17. net — in sport
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bass — low music
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bass — the fish
  23. key — for a lock
  24. charge — in control

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