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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mug — to rob
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. key — in music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. game — wild animals
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — a container
  15. current — electric
  16. key — the most important part
  17. row — a line
  18. degree — temperature
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mug — a face
  21. row — to paddle
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. key — for a lock

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