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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · bat · mug · pit · current · bay · wound · degree

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mug — to rob
  7. season — of the year
  8. mug — a face
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bat — the animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. season — in sport
  17. degree — an amount
  18. current — of water
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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