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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. face — to confront
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. current — of water
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. degree — an amount
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bore — to tire
  22. current — happening now
  23. track — a path
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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