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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. current — happening now
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pop — soda
  7. club — a group
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bound — certain
  10. roll — a list
  11. current — of water
  12. club — for golf
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pop — music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pop — to visit
  20. current — electric
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bound — tied together
  23. suit — clothes
  24. degree — temperature

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