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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: rock · current · charge · fork · pitcher · degree · trunk · lean

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. lean — to bend
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — a price
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lean — thin
  16. rock — music
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fork — to eat with

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