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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. degree — from a university
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mate — a partner
  8. key — in music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. degree — an amount
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — a hat
  13. degree — temperature
  14. squash — the sport
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mate — a friend
  18. key — the most important part
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. squash — to crush
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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