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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. degree — temperature
  5. charge — a price
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bound — tied together
  10. spell — letters
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bound — obliged
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pit — a hole
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pass — a permit
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. spell — magic
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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