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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. scale — size or range
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. firm — decided
  5. degree — from a university
  6. land — ground
  7. degree — temperature
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. land — to come down
  11. race — humankind
  12. land — a country
  13. scale — in music
  14. degree — an amount
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. race — the arms race
  18. firm — a company
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. shower — to wash
  22. race — a contest
  23. shower — rain
  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