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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bear — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — rain
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. degree — temperature
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. charge — a price
  19. drill — a practice
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pop — soda
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. charge — in control
  24. degree — an amount

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