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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. current — of water
  3. spring — of water
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. current — happening now
  6. rest — what's left
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rest — what's left
  10. craft — boats
  11. current — electric
  12. pound — a weight
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. spring — a coil
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bore — to drill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rest — a break
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. spring — the season

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