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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: pitcher · mouse · hide · rest · rock · degree · file · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. file — a tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — music
  8. current — happening now
  9. rest — what's left
  10. file — a document
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — of water
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rest — a break
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rock — to move gently

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