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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. charge — in control
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. current — electric
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cold — not warm
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cold — an illness
  10. degree — temperature
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. current — happening now
  14. suit — in cards
  15. last — to go on
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. rash — hasty
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. current — of water
  24. rash — a series

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