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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. current — of water
  10. mate — a partner
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. current — electric
  15. degree — an amount
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mark — a trace
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. current — happening now
  24. tube — a container

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