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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. swing — in golf
  3. current — electric
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mug — a cup
  6. deal — to handle
  7. press — newspapers
  8. current — of water
  9. degree — temperature
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. swing — music
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cold — an illness
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mug — to rob
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. degree — an amount
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. current — happening now
  23. press — to push
  24. mug — a face

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