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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. present — there
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. present — a gift
  10. bark — to shout
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. current — of water
  15. key — the most important part
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ground — crushed
  18. present — the time now
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ground — a position
  23. current — happening now
  24. plane — in geometry

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