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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: cabinet · row · season · saw · key · current · degree · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. current — happening now
  3. degree — temperature
  4. current — of water
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. key — the most important part
  7. degree — an amount
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. season — in sport
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. degree — from a university
  17. present — a gift
  18. row — a line
  19. current — electric
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. row — to paddle
  22. season — of the year
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. present — there

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