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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — an injury
  4. swing — to play on
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. key — for a lock
  10. current — electric
  11. degree — an amount
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. swing — in golf
  15. key — in music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. current — of water
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. swing — music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. present — a gift
  24. current — happening now

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