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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. current — electric
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. current — happening now
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. degree — from a university
  18. current — of water

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