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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.

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: fan · snap · current · degree · chair · pass · pop · bear

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pop — soda
  5. current — electric
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. current — happening now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — the animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. current — of water
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pop — music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fan — a supporter

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