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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: mark · mug · pitch · current · shower · saw · bank · degree

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mug — to rob
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. current — happening now
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — completely
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mug — a face
  13. current — of water
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mug — a cup
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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