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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mug — a cup
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. current — happening now
  13. tear — to rip
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mug — a face
  18. stand — to bear
  19. degree — an amount
  20. spring — of water
  21. tear — from crying
  22. current — electric
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. current — of water

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