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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. can — to be able to
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. drill — army training
  5. object — a thing
  6. current — happening now
  7. drill — a practice
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. object — to protest
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. current — of water
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. snap — to click
  20. current — electric
  21. object — an aim
  22. drill — the tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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