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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. degree — from a university
  3. charge — a price
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bank — for money
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cap — a hat
  10. charge — in control
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bank — for money
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cap — a lid

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