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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mug — a cup
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mug — to rob
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. march — the month
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. march — music
  12. mug — a face
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. current — of water
  21. march — the month
  22. current — electric
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. current — happening now

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