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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
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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: file · chip · rash · scale · degree · safe · field · current

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. scale — size or range
  5. degree — from a university
  6. file — a line of people
  7. current — happening now
  8. rash — hasty
  9. file — a document
  10. chip — to eat
  11. degree — an amount
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. file — a tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — in music
  18. field — for sport
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chip — for betting
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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