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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. degree — an amount
  3. prune — to trim
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. tube — a container
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. foot — a measure
  10. degree — temperature
  11. current — happening now
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pit — a hole
  15. current — of water
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ground — a position
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. prune — to trim
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ground — the earth
  24. tube — in a tire

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