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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. current — electric
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. dip — to sink
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bear — the animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fine — all right
  15. march — the month
  16. degree — an amount
  17. march — the month
  18. current — of water
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fork — in a road
  21. march — music
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fine — high quality

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