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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · degree · charge · fall · ruler · can · fork · straw

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fork — in a road
  3. degree — from a university
  4. charge — a price
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. can — a tin
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fall — to drop
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fall — the season
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. can — a tin
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. can — to be able to

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