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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. root — of a plant
  3. degree — from a university
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. key — in music
  13. current — happening now
  14. degree — temperature
  15. root — the cause
  16. scale — in music
  17. root — of a word
  18. current — electric
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — of water
  24. key — the most important part

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