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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. ball — a great time
  2. current — of water
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. current — electric
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. degree — from a university
  17. current — happening now
  18. wake — a trail
  19. deal — to handle
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. fan — a supporter
  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