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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. spring — a coil
  4. current — electric
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. degree — an amount
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. spring — of water
  15. firm — decided
  16. mate — a partner
  17. current — of water
  18. firm — steady
  19. snap — to click
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spring — the season
  22. firm — a company
  23. current — happening now
  24. safe — out of danger

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