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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. degree — from a university
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. current — of water
  8. capital — a city
  9. content — the amount
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. content — happy
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. degree — temperature
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. capital — money
  18. current — electric
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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