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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: field · fall · dip · rush · degree · current · mouse · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. degree — temperature
  5. current — happening now
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fall — the season
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fall — to drop
  12. field — a subject
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. field — for sport
  17. degree — an amount
  18. field — farmland
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. degree — from a university
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rush — a thrill
  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