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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. object — a thing
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rash — a series
  6. bass — low music
  7. object — an aim
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. charge — in control
  11. degree — an amount
  12. scale — size or range
  13. charge — a price
  14. rash — hasty
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bear — the animal
  18. object — to protest
  19. hand — help
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — electricity
  23. scale — in music
  24. degree — temperature

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