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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. club — a group
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. club — for golf
  10. current — happening now
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. current — of water
  14. degree — an amount
  15. game — wild animals
  16. current — electric
  17. bore — to tire
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. game — a match
  24. bore — to drill

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