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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. degree — from a university
  3. current — electric
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. field — farmland
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. current — happening now
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. pass — a permit
  12. field — for sport
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. field — a subject
  15. lean — to bend
  16. current — of water
  17. degree — temperature
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mark — a grade
  22. degree — an amount
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pass — to succeed

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