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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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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: bore · season · deal · degree · wake · current · hand · staff

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. staff — employees
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. current — happening now
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. current — of water
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wake — a trail
  18. staff — employees
  19. hand — help
  20. degree — from a university
  21. staff — a stick
  22. current — electric
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bore — to drill

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