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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · date · hand · pass · scale · degree · jam · current

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. degree — from a university
  6. charge — a price
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. degree — temperature
  10. current — electric
  11. scale — in music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. degree — an amount
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. hand — in cards
  17. charge — in control
  18. current — happening now
  19. date — the fruit
  20. hand — help
  21. current — of water
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. scale — size or range

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