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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bass — low music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. current — of water
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. current — electric
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. degree — an amount
  15. net — in sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bass — the fish
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. net — for catching
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. net — after costs

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