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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: current · fork · rock · degree · net · calf · field · drill

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. field — farmland
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. field — a subject
  7. net — for catching
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. degree — an amount
  13. net — in sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rock — music
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fork — in a road
  20. degree — from a university
  21. field — for sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. net — after costs
  24. rock — to move gently

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