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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pit — in a race
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. degree — an amount
  6. staff — a stick
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. current — electric
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mug — to rob
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mug — a face
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. current — happening now
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pit — a hole

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