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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. degree — temperature
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. current — electric
  5. mate — a friend
  6. current — happening now
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. mate — a partner
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. current — of water
  12. sharp — clever
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mate — to breed
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. board — to get on
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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