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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. degree — from a university
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. content — happy
  6. net — for catching
  7. object — a thing
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. fall — the season
  12. current — happening now
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. net — after costs
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. net — in sport
  18. fall — to drop
  19. object — an aim
  20. current — electric
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fall — to drop
  23. content — the amount
  24. current — of water

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