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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. club — a group
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. hand — help
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. net — for catching
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. degree — temperature
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. saw — the tool
  15. club — for dancing
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. net — after costs
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bat — the animal
  21. club — for golf
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. net — in sport

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