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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. degree — an amount
  3. current — of water
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. degree — temperature
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. board — to get on
  12. spring — of water
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. suit — clothes
  15. current — electric
  16. bark — to shout
  17. current — happening now
  18. spring — the season
  19. bore — to tire
  20. suit — in cards
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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