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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ball — a great time
  4. current — of water
  5. degree — an amount
  6. charge — in control
  7. current — electric
  8. charge — a price
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. current — happening now
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. court — for sport
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. court — of a king
  20. ball — a dance
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. court — of law
  23. charge — electricity
  24. degree — from a university

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