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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — electric
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. degree — an amount
  6. march — music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. degree — from a university
  11. key — in music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. march — the month
  15. bound — certain
  16. current — happening now
  17. key — for a lock
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. bound — tied together
  22. current — of water
  23. key — the most important part
  24. degree — temperature

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