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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · mark · spring · degree · season · current · squash · charge

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. charge — electricity
  4. degree — from a university
  5. spring — a coil
  6. season — in sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. spring — the season
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. season — of the year
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mug — a cup
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mark — a trace
  20. current — of water
  21. degree — temperature
  22. charge — in control
  23. mark — a grade
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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