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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. race — humankind
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. current — of water
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fine — high quality
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fine — all right
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. race — a contest
  13. current — happening now
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — a trail
  21. degree — from a university
  22. current — electric
  23. staff — employees
  24. bore — to drill

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