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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. chip — to eat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitch — completely
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — of water
  10. net — after costs
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chip — for betting
  14. drill — army training
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. net — in sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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