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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. degree — from a university
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — in music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. scale — size or range
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. swing — music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. swing — to play on
  23. degree — temperature
  24. swing — in golf

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