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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. current — electric
  3. land — to come down
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rock — music
  6. land — ground
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — high quality
  12. land — a country
  13. fine — all right
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fall — the season
  16. current — happening now
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. degree — an amount
  19. current — of water
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pit — in a race

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