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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bound — obliged
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ball — a great time
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. season — in sport
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. season — of the year
  22. bound — certain
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. safe — out of danger

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