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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 120 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: current · ball · hide · chair · degree · scale · bulb · march

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. current — happening now
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. scale — size or range
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. march — the month
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. march — music
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. current — electric
  15. march — the month
  16. degree — temperature
  17. scale — in music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ball — a dance
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — an amount
  24. chair — a leader

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