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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: current · face · degree · track · net · firm · perch · bulb

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. face — part of the head
  3. net — in sport
  4. perch — the fish
  5. net — for catching
  6. face — to confront
  7. current — electric
  8. net — after costs
  9. track — to keep track
  10. current — of water
  11. degree — from a university
  12. firm — steady
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. track — a path
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — a song
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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