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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. current — happening now
  2. foot — a measure
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. current — of water
  5. degree — from a university
  6. current — electric
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mug — a face
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. content — the amount
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mug — a cup
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. content — happy
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stand — to bear
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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