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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. race — the arms race
  4. swing — to play on
  5. charge — electricity
  6. race — humankind
  7. degree — an amount
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. swing — in golf
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — of a king
  12. date — the fruit
  13. court — of law
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lean — thin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lean — to bend
  19. charge — in control
  20. degree — temperature
  21. court — for sport
  22. swing — music
  23. degree — from a university
  24. race — a contest

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