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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. wake — a trail
  4. degree — temperature
  5. current — happening now
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. degree — from a university
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rule — government
  16. sharp — clever
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rule — a law
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. kick — in football
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. degree — an amount

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