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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. saw — the tool
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. firm — steady
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. firm — decided
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ball — a dance
  12. firm — a company
  13. charge — a price
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cold — an illness
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pit — a hole
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. charge — in control

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