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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. degree — from a university
  3. current — electric
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rock — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. current — happening now
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pop — music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. current — of water
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pop — soda
  21. rock — a stone
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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