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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: net · degree · ball · rash · current · craft · cell · file

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. file — a tool
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. cell — in biology
  8. file — a line of people
  9. current — electric
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rash — hasty
  12. current — happening now
  13. file — a document
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. craft — boats
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cell — a phone
  21. current — of water
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. net — after costs

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