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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — the fish
  12. scale — in music
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — to recline
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. current — happening now
  22. bass — low music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — size or range

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