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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: key · row · current · nail · degree · bark · chip · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. degree — an amount
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. key — in music
  11. degree — from a university
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. current — happening now
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. degree — temperature
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bark — to shout
  22. current — of water
  23. nail — on a finger
  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