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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fine — high quality
  5. suit — clothes
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — electric
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. degree — temperature
  19. swing — to play on
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — in cards
  22. degree — an amount
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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