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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
468
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: current · fine · pitcher · club · cap · game · degree · ground

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. current — happening now
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a match
  10. club — a group
  11. ground — a position
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. current — electric
  15. ground — the earth
  16. degree — from a university
  17. club — for golf
  18. fine — all right
  19. current — of water
  20. degree — temperature
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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