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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
468
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: net · straw · bowl · degree · kick · can · current · row

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. degree — temperature
  5. row — a line
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. current — electric
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. degree — from a university
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. can — to be able to
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. kick — in football
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. current — of water
  23. row — to paddle
  24. degree — an amount

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