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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: mate · cue · scale · cell · current · bulb · land · degree

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. land — a country
  5. degree — temperature
  6. land — to come down
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cue — a hint
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. degree — an amount
  11. scale — in music
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. current — happening now
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bulb — for light
  20. land — ground
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. current — electric

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