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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. degree — temperature
  6. current — of water
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. current — electric
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spell — magic
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fine — all right
  16. spell — letters
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fine — high quality

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