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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. degree — from a university
  5. current — happening now
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. current — of water
  8. chair — a leader
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. charge — a price
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. charge — in control
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. degree — an amount
  18. plane — a tool
  19. date — the fruit
  20. staff — employees
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. current — electric
  24. degree — temperature

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