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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. face — part of the head
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pound — a weight
  6. current — electric
  7. degree — an amount
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. tube — a container
  11. bulb — for light
  12. degree — temperature
  13. race — humankind
  14. current — of water
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. race — the arms race
  17. face — to confront
  18. bulb — for light
  19. degree — from a university
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. race — a contest
  24. coach — a trainer

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