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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: drill · current · kick · suit · degree · bat · jam · cell

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cell — a phone
  3. suit — clothes
  4. current — electric
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. current — of water
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. suit — to fit
  11. current — happening now
  12. bat — the animal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. drill — army training
  17. degree — an amount
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. degree — from a university
  22. kick — in football
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cell — in biology

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