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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. current — of water
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — electric
  6. charge — in control
  7. degree — an amount
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. drill — army training
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. scale — in music
  12. degree — from a university
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. charge — electricity
  17. drill — a practice
  18. charge — a price
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. current — happening now
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. scale — size or range
  24. drill — the tool

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