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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. degree — temperature
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. current — happening now
  6. spell — a short time
  7. current — of water
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bear — the animal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. current — electric
  15. degree — an amount
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. spell — magic
  20. degree — from a university
  21. spell — letters
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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