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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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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. net — in sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. current — electric
  10. net — for catching
  11. bank — of a river
  12. current — of water
  13. scale — size or range
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bank — for money
  18. chair — a leader
  19. current — happening now
  20. scale — in music
  21. degree — from a university
  22. drill — army training
  23. kick — a thrill
  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