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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — the season
  4. can — to be able to
  5. degree — from a university
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. degree — temperature
  9. present — a gift
  10. current — electric
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. can — a tin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. current — of water
  15. root — of a word
  16. fall — to drop
  17. present — the time now
  18. root — the cause
  19. current — happening now
  20. present — there
  21. staff — employees
  22. fall — to drop
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ruler — for measuring

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