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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. degree — an amount
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — to come down
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wax — to grow
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. land — ground

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