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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. kid — to tease
  5. current — happening now
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. scale — in music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. kid — child
  14. roll — a list
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. roll — a cake
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. foot — a measure
  22. current — electric
  23. degree — an amount
  24. pit — in a race

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