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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. net — in sport
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. current — electric
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ground — the earth
  13. degree — from a university
  14. current — of water
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. current — happening now
  17. net — after costs
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ground — a position
  20. degree — temperature
  21. net — for catching
  22. pass — a permit
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stem — of a plant

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