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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fine — all right
  5. file — a line of people
  6. degree — from a university
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — electric
  9. file — a tool
  10. pound — a weight
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — happening now
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. degree — temperature
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. degree — an amount
  18. press — to push
  19. fine — high quality
  20. current — of water
  21. file — a document
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. press — newspapers

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