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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. current — of water
  4. chair — a leader
  5. current — happening now
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. degree — an amount
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. current — electric
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. degree — from a university
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. degree — temperature
  24. date — the fruit

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