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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. court — of a king
  6. lie — to recline
  7. court — of law
  8. current — electric
  9. net — after costs
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. current — happening now
  18. net — in sport
  19. degree — from a university
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. court — for sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. net — for catching

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