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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: foot · pop · club · cell · current · degree · mouse · ruler

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. current — of water
  5. degree — temperature
  6. current — happening now
  7. pop — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. club — for golf
  12. current — electric
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pop — soda
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pop — to visit
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. club — a group
  22. degree — an amount
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cell — in biology

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