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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 116 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. spell — letters
  3. rash — a series
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pit — a hole
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bank — for money
  9. charge — in control
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rash — hasty
  12. charge — a price
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. charge — electricity
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pit — in a race
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. spell — magic

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