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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: toast · degree · current · rule · fork · lash · track · shower

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fork — in a road
  9. shower — to wash
  10. track — a song
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. current — electric
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rule — government
  17. current — of water
  18. degree — from a university
  19. track — a path
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rule — a law
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. track — to keep track

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