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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: foot · current · net · degree · bank · chair · mark · ruler

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bank — for money
  3. degree — an amount
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. current — of water
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. net — for catching
  13. degree — temperature
  14. net — in sport
  15. current — happening now
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chair — a leader
  20. net — after costs
  21. mark — a trace
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. current — electric

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