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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: foot · degree · current · capital · key · calf · chip · pit

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — in a race
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. capital — a city
  10. degree — an amount
  11. current — of water
  12. capital — money
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. current — electric
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pit — a hole
  21. degree — from a university
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. chip — to eat
  24. foot — the bottom

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