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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. degree — an amount
  3. march — music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — a face
  6. degree — temperature
  7. march — the month
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — electric
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. pitch — completely
  14. current — happening now
  15. march — the month
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mug — a cup
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mug — to rob
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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