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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.

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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: wax · degree · current · racket · temple · mine · pound · mate

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mate — to breed
  3. degree — an amount
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pound — a weight
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. current — of water
  11. mine — for digging
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. current — electric
  19. degree — temperature
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mate — a friend
  24. temple — a place of worship

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