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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
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 · scale · clip · bass · rash · mug · degree · chip

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rash — hasty
  4. current — electric
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mug — a face
  7. degree — from a university
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. current — happening now
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mug — a cup
  13. scale — in music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. clip — to cut
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mug — to rob
  18. degree — an amount
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. clip — for paper
  21. degree — temperature
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bass — low music
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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