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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: kid · current · ball · track · degree · roll · wax · fork

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wax — to grow
  5. degree — temperature
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. degree — an amount
  9. current — electric
  10. track — a path
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. track — a song
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. roll — a cake
  22. track — to keep track
  23. current — happening now
  24. degree — from a university

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