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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. present — there
  3. craft — boats
  4. club — for golf
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. present — a gift
  11. current — happening now
  12. degree — temperature
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. current — of water
  18. cue — a hint
  19. degree — an amount
  20. current — electric
  21. present — the time now
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. degree — from a university

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