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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 120 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: spell · rush · current · foot · mark · pitcher · degree · nail

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — a grade
  6. foot — a measure
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. current — of water
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. degree — from a university
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. degree — an amount
  20. spell — letters
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rush — hurry

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