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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pop — soda
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. land — ground
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bore — to tire
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. land — a country
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pop — to visit
  14. land — to come down
  15. degree — from a university
  16. ball — a great time
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — of water
  20. bore — to drill
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. current — happening now
  24. pop — music

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