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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. net — after costs
  3. current — happening now
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. saw — the tool
  8. toast — bread
  9. current — electric
  10. key — the most important part
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. key — for a lock
  14. net — in sport
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. degree — temperature
  19. net — for catching
  20. degree — an amount
  21. key — in music
  22. degree — from a university
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. current — of water

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