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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. current — of water
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — happening now
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. degree — an amount
  8. press — to push
  9. degree — from a university
  10. content — happy
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — in cards
  13. degree — temperature
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. hand — help
  21. content — the amount
  22. wound — an injury
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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