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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lean — to bend
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lean — thin
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ground — a position
  17. prune — to trim
  18. charge — a price
  19. degree — an amount
  20. charge — in control
  21. net — for catching
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lean — to rest against

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