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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. kid — child
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bat — the animal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. current — happening now
  11. degree — from a university
  12. current — of water
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. kid — to tease
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pound — a weight
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bulb — for light
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — electric

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