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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. race — a contest
  4. degree — temperature
  5. current — of water
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. drill — army training
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. race — the arms race
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. current — electric
  13. drill — a practice
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bulb — for light
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. race — humankind
  18. bulb — for light
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mug — a face
  21. drill — the tool
  22. current — happening now
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. degree — from a university

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