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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. land — to come down
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. land — a country
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. current — happening now
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. shower — rain
  15. rest — a break
  16. land — ground
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. degree — from a university
  19. current — electric
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. degree — temperature
  22. current — of water
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. safe — a strongbox

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