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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stand — to bear
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. degree — from a university
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — happening now
  14. rock — music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. date — the fruit
  17. current — of water
  18. bulb — for light
  19. degree — temperature
  20. current — electric
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pitcher — a jug

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