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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. degree — temperature
  6. tube — the underground
  7. court — of a king
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. charge — electricity
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — a division
  15. charge — in control
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. court — for sport
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. degree — an amount
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. court — of law
  23. tube — a container
  24. charge — a price

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