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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. cap — of ice
  6. net — in sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — happening now
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cap — a hat
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. degree — an amount
  17. prune — to trim
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cap — a lid
  20. current — of water
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. current — electric
  24. degree — temperature

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