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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 120 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: nail · last · degree · pitcher · current · mark · chip · trunk

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. current — of water
  3. last — to go on
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. last — finally
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. degree — an amount
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chip — to eat
  13. current — electric
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. last — final
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mark — a trace
  19. current — happening now
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. degree — from a university
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mark — a grade
  24. degree — temperature

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