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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — hurry
  3. net — for catching
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — of water
  6. rest — a break
  7. degree — an amount
  8. net — after costs
  9. degree — from a university
  10. net — in sport
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rash — hasty
  13. drill — army training
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. drill — a practice
  16. current — electric
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. drill — the tool
  22. current — happening now
  23. rash — a series
  24. rest — what's left

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