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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. suit — to fit
  3. current — of water
  4. degree — an amount
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. court — of law
  9. bound — certain
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. current — electric
  16. suit — clothes
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. degree — from a university
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rush — hurry
  24. degree — temperature

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