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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. swing — music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. degree — from a university
  5. root — of a word
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — of water
  8. root — the cause
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rock — music
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. root — of a plant
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. degree — temperature
  20. current — electric
  21. bat — the animal
  22. swing — to play on
  23. degree — an amount
  24. temple — a place of worship

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