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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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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: present · suit · degree · season · hide · current · pitcher · mate

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mate — a partner
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — happening now
  5. degree — an amount
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — clothes
  9. current — of water
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mate — to breed
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. present — the time now
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. present — a gift
  18. current — electric
  19. season — of the year
  20. degree — from a university
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — a friend
  24. season — in sport

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