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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — certain
  3. charge — a price
  4. swing — to play on
  5. current — happening now
  6. swing — in golf
  7. charge — electricity
  8. current — of water
  9. degree — an amount
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. staff — employees
  15. current — electric
  16. swing — music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. charge — in control
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. staff — employees
  24. pass — a permit

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