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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. charge — in control
  2. mug — a cup
  3. current — electric
  4. charge — electricity
  5. face — part of the head
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wound — an injury
  8. object — a thing
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fine — all right
  11. current — of water
  12. mug — a face
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. face — to confront
  16. fine — high quality
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — a price
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mug — to rob
  23. current — happening now
  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