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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. degree — an amount
  7. tube — the underground
  8. degree — from a university
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. current — electric
  13. degree — temperature
  14. squash — to crush
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cap — a lid
  17. tube — a container
  18. toast — bread
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. current — of water
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kid — child
  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