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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: tube · degree · current · bore · court · firm · ruler · content

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. current — happening now
  6. tube — the underground
  7. court — of a king
  8. content — happy
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. content — the amount
  11. firm — decided
  12. degree — temperature
  13. court — of law
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. degree — from a university
  16. court — for sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bore — to drill
  19. tube — a container
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. current — of water
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tube — in a tire

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