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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lie — to recline
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. charge — in control
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. root — of a word
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. root — the cause
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — of a plant
  18. charge — electricity
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. row — a line

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