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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. current — electric
  9. degree — an amount
  10. current — happening now
  11. rash — hasty
  12. land — a country
  13. shower — rain
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rash — a series
  19. deal — to handle
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. degree — from a university
  22. current — of water
  23. land — to come down
  24. mouse — for a computer

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