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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. drill — a practice
  4. branch — a division
  5. chip — to eat
  6. foot — a measure
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. degree — temperature
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. drill — army training
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. degree — an amount
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chip — for betting
  20. current — happening now
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. lean — thin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to rest against

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