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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mug — a face
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. degree — temperature
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mug — to rob
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mug — a cup
  22. current — electric
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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