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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cap — a lid
  3. current — electric
  4. cap — a hat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. current — happening now
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. deal — to handle
  10. object — a thing
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cap — of ice
  13. staff — employees
  14. object — an aim
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — from a university
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. object — to protest
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. staff — a stick

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