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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — clothes
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. chair — a leader
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. suit — to fit
  12. current — happening now
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — from a university
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. suit — in cards
  21. current — of water
  22. degree — an amount
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — electric

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