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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. saw — the tool
  4. track — a path
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. saw — the tool
  7. current — electric
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. track — a song
  11. present — the time now
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. current — happening now
  17. degree — temperature
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. staff — a stick
  20. degree — from a university
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — to keep track
  23. degree — an amount
  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