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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mate — a partner
  6. charge — a price
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. scale — in music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mate — to breed
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. degree — from a university
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. suit — clothes
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. scale — size or range
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. degree — temperature
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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