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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. current — happening now
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rash — a series
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cue — a signal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rock — music
  16. current — of water
  17. mate — a friend
  18. current — electric
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cue — a hint
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mate — a partner

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