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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: straw · trunk · fine · degree · current · race · pass · content

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. current — happening now
  8. content — the amount
  9. race — humankind
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fine — high quality
  12. race — a contest
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. degree — from a university
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fine — all right
  20. pass — a permit
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. degree — temperature
  23. current — of water
  24. content — happy

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