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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. charge — electricity
  3. press — a publisher
  4. degree — temperature
  5. row — to paddle
  6. charge — in control
  7. bound — certain
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. degree — from a university
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. charge — a price
  15. press — to push
  16. bound — obliged
  17. row — a line
  18. bound — tied together
  19. press — newspapers
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. row — a quarrel

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