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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
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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: pop · degree · fork · race · bound · rush · current · season

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. race — the arms race
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fork — in a road
  12. current — of water
  13. season — in sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pop — soda
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. race — humankind
  18. bound — tied together
  19. race — a contest
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bound — obliged
  23. season — of the year
  24. pop — music

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