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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bore — to tire
  3. board — to get on
  4. degree — temperature
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mug — a face
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bore — to drill
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. board — a committee
  15. mug — to rob
  16. key — the most important part
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. key — in music
  19. current — happening now
  20. pop — soda
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pop — music

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