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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. current — of water
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fork — in a road
  6. charge — electricity
  7. degree — an amount
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — electric
  10. degree — from a university
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. charge — in control
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rock — music
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lie — to recline
  19. charge — a price
  20. current — happening now
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cap — a hat

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