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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. current — happening now
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. degree — temperature
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. season — of the year
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rest — what's left
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rest — a break
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. current — of water
  21. rush — hurry
  22. current — electric
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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