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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. degree — temperature
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rash — hasty
  10. can — to be able to
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rash — a series
  14. date — the fruit
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — happening now
  21. deal — to handle
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. current — electric
  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