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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. club — for dancing
  3. object — to protest
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. degree — temperature
  8. object — a thing
  9. current — of water
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. degree — from a university
  13. deal — to handle
  14. board — a committee
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — electric
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. board — to get on
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. degree — an amount
  24. current — happening now

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