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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — a weight
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. scale — in music
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cold — an illness
  12. kick — in football
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. degree — from a university
  21. current — electric
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mark — to pay attention

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