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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — an amount
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. content — the amount
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. degree — temperature
  10. charge — electricity
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. content — happy
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. degree — from a university
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. charge — a price
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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