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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: current · stand · chip · saw · spell · degree · mate · scale

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mate — to breed
  5. degree — from a university
  6. saw — the tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. scale — size or range
  11. spell — magic
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stand — to bear
  14. degree — an amount
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mate — a partner
  18. current — electric
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. degree — temperature
  24. current — happening now

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