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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fine — high quality
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. degree — an amount
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pound — a weight
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. degree — temperature
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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