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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. current — electric
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bound — tied together
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bore — to drill
  13. scale — in music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — of water
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bound — certain
  21. current — happening now
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rock — a stone

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