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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: kid · patient · suit · degree · current · mug · mate · ground

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. degree — temperature
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — a friend
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ground — a position
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mug — to rob
  9. current — electric
  10. mate — to breed
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mug — a face
  13. current — happening now
  14. suit — in cards
  15. current — of water
  16. kid — to tease
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mate — a partner
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mug — a cup
  23. suit — to fit
  24. kid — child

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