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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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Word bank
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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: stick · ground · fine · toast · charge · mate · degree · bay

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. degree — temperature
  3. ground — a position
  4. degree — from a university
  5. charge — a price
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mate — a partner
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mate — a friend
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — bread
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mate — to breed
  18. charge — in control
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fine — all right

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