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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. degree — temperature
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. key — in music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. degree — an amount
  16. current — happening now
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. degree — from a university
  20. shower — rain
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. current — electric
  24. mouse — the animal

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