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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. degree — an amount
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bound — tied together
  5. object — an aim
  6. degree — from a university
  7. season — in sport
  8. current — electric
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. current — of water
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. scale — size or range
  13. drill — the tool
  14. object — to protest
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bound — obliged
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bound — certain
  19. current — happening now
  20. degree — temperature
  21. scale — in music
  22. season — of the year
  23. drill — army training
  24. object — a thing

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