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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: ruler · kid · current · field · rock · degree · suit · rush

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rock — music
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. current — happening now
  7. rock — a stone
  8. suit — in cards
  9. degree — an amount
  10. current — of water
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kid — child
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. suit — to fit
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. suit — clothes
  24. current — electric

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