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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. saw — the tool
  3. degree — an amount
  4. current — of water
  5. charge — electricity
  6. current — happening now
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stand — to bear
  13. charge — a price
  14. scale — size or range
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. current — electric
  18. swing — in golf
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. scale — in music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. saw — the tool

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