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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 116 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wound — an injury
  5. scale — size or range
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. degree — from a university
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. scale — in music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — a hole
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pit — in a race
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pass — a permit

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