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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. degree — temperature
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. suit — to fit
  6. degree — an amount
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. press — newspapers
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. drill — the tool
  14. game — a match
  15. chair — a leader
  16. drill — army training
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. degree — from a university
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. drill — a practice
  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