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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: current · face · racket · capital · wave · degree · scale · fan

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. degree — from a university
  7. current — happening now
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — electric
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. face — part of the head
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. scale — in music
  17. current — of water
  18. degree — an amount
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. degree — temperature
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — to confront

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