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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: bay · capital · degree · fine · game · kick · coach · current

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. capital — money
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — electric
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fine — high quality
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. game — a match
  11. fine — all right
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. capital — a city
  15. current — of water
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. degree — from a university
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. current — happening now
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. kick — in football

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