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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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. current — electric
  4. march — the month
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. march — music
  9. current — of water
  10. march — the month
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. charge — electricity
  13. current — happening now
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. game — wild animals
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. degree — an amount
  18. charge — in control
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chair — a leader
  21. foot — a measure
  22. charge — a price
  23. degree — temperature
  24. foot — part of the body

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