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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. degree — an amount
  3. track — a song
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. current — happening now
  6. kid — child
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. degree — from a university
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. degree — temperature
  17. kid — to tease
  18. current — electric
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bank — for money
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. track — a path
  24. patient — a sick person

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