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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pass — a permit
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lean — to bend
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lean — thin
  7. foot — a measure
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. tube — a container
  10. net — after costs
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. current — of water
  13. net — in sport
  14. degree — temperature
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. current — happening now
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. tube — the underground
  22. degree — from a university
  23. net — for catching
  24. pass — to succeed

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