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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: pit · wave · degree · dip · saw · current · bark · staff

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. current — of water
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pit — a hole
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. current — electric
  13. degree — temperature
  14. dip — to sink
  15. current — happening now
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. staff — employees
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pit — in a race

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