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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. charge — a price
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. sharp — clever
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. present — the time now
  10. charge — electricity
  11. present — a gift
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. degree — from a university
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. stand — to bear
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — there
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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