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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pop — to visit
  3. current — electric
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. current — happening now
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. current — of water
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tube — the underground
  16. club — a group
  17. degree — an amount
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tear — from crying
  20. club — for golf
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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