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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 120 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: degree · object · track · nail · kid · current · stand · band

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. current — happening now
  5. object — to protest
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. band — a ring
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. track — a song
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. current — of water
  13. degree — an amount
  14. track — a path
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. object — an aim
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. current — electric
  21. degree — from a university
  22. object — a thing
  23. degree — temperature
  24. track — to keep track

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