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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. present — a gift
  4. charge — electricity
  5. degree — temperature
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. present — the time now
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. current — of water
  15. charge — a price
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. present — there
  18. can — a tin
  19. charge — in control
  20. current — electric
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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