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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. plane — a tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. season — of the year
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. craft — a skill
  12. land — a country
  13. charge — in control
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. season — in sport
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. land — ground
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. charge — electricity
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. land — to come down

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