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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. branch — a division
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. degree — an amount
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. current — of water
  9. degree — from a university
  10. firm — decided
  11. current — happening now
  12. net — in sport
  13. current — electric
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. firm — steady
  16. net — for catching
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. firm — a company
  22. net — after costs
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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