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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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. net — after costs
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. rock — a stone
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. net — in sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cue — a hint
  14. current — happening now
  15. rock — music
  16. band — a music group
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. degree — an amount
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. net — for catching
  24. band — a ring

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