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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ground — a position
  5. charge — in control
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. charge — a price
  11. degree — an amount
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitcher — a jug

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