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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. current — happening now
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. current — electric
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. degree — an amount
  12. squash — the sport
  13. current — of water
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rock — a stone
  17. degree — from a university
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rock — music
  21. pit — a hole
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fall — the season
  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