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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. degree — temperature
  3. current — electric
  4. cap — of ice
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cap — a lid
  13. current — happening now
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — of water
  18. wound — an injury
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. degree — an amount
  23. wound — an injury
  24. charge — electricity

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