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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. field — a subject
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. field — for sport
  9. current — of water
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. field — farmland
  12. degree — an amount
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wind — moving air
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wind — moving air

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