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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. spell — magic
  3. track — to keep track
  4. suit — clothes
  5. charge — in control
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a song
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. track — a path
  11. degree — an amount
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. spell — letters
  14. game — a match
  15. charge — a price
  16. degree — temperature
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spell — a short time
  21. degree — from a university
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. charge — electricity

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