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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. degree — an amount
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. band — a ring
  5. object — an aim
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. degree — from a university
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. band — a music group
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. object — a thing
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. object — to protest
  18. pass — a permit
  19. degree — temperature
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. sharp — clever
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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