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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: suit · cabinet · degree · current · nail · patient · wake · object

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. object — an aim
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. current — of water
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — from a university
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. degree — an amount
  17. suit — clothes
  18. current — electric
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. nail — for a hammer

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