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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mate — a partner
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. current — happening now
  8. spell — magic
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. current — of water
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pit — a hole
  14. current — electric
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rush — hurry
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mate — to breed
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pit — in a race
  21. scale — in music
  22. spell — letters
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. degree — an amount

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