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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: present · straw · degree · sharp · current · fork · mark · scale

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. current — of water
  3. present — there
  4. degree — temperature
  5. sharp — clever
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mark — a grade
  8. degree — from a university
  9. current — happening now
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. scale — in music
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. current — electric
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. present — a gift
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. present — the time now
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. scale — size or range

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