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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: degree · stand · object · current · kid · ball · date · pit

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. current — electric
  6. degree — an amount
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pit — in a race
  12. current — happening now
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. ball — a dance
  17. kid — to tease
  18. degree — from a university
  19. kid — child
  20. object — a thing
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. ball — a great time

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