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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
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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: scale · current · degree · fine · date · calf · sharp · nail

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. degree — an amount
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. degree — temperature
  7. scale — in music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. current — happening now
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. current — electric
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fine — high quality
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. degree — from a university
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fine — all right
  23. current — of water
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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