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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pound — a weight
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. degree — an amount
  13. current — happening now
  14. craft — boats
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. current — electric
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. current — of water
  24. degree — from a university

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