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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. sharp — clever
  3. file — a document
  4. current — happening now
  5. bank — of a river
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. kid — child
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. current — of water
  11. file — a line of people
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. current — electric
  15. bank — for money
  16. file — a tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. degree — from a university
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bank — for money
  24. degree — an amount

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