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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
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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: wind · field · current · wake · mark · coach · degree · perch

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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 — electric
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mark — a trace
  6. perch — the fish
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. field — for sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wake — a trail
  11. current — happening now
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. field — farmland
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wind — moving air
  22. field — a subject
  23. current — of water
  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