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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. degree — from a university
  3. current — electric
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. degree — temperature
  7. current — of water
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. current — happening now
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bark — to shout
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. present — a gift

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