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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · safe · charge · bear · straw · degree · scale · pitcher

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. scale — size or range
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. degree — from a university
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — in music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fall — the season
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bear — the animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bear — the animal

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