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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pass — a permit
  3. degree — from a university
  4. game — wild animals
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rest — what's left
  7. current — of water
  8. tube — a container
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. current — electric
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rest — a break
  14. suit — in cards
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. degree — an amount
  18. current — happening now
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. game — a match
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pass — to spend time

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