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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. degree — an amount
  5. saw — the tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a dance
  9. current — electric
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a great time
  12. current — of water
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. perch — the fish
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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