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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: firm · temple · game · rush · wake · degree · cue · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. game — wild animals
  3. degree — an amount
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. firm — decided
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. firm — steady
  11. rush — hurry
  12. degree — from a university
  13. firm — a company
  14. wake — a trail
  15. current — happening now
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cue — for pool
  18. game — a match
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. current — electric
  23. cue — a hint
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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