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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. ball — a dance
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ball — a great time
  8. toast — bread
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. current — of water
  13. prune — to trim
  14. degree — an amount
  15. current — happening now
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mine — for digging
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. date — the fruit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mine — an explosive

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