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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: sharp · pitcher · current · degree · band · object · roll · nail

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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 — electric
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. object — a thing
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. object — to protest
  8. band — a ring
  9. sharp — clever
  10. degree — an amount
  11. object — an aim
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. current — happening now
  14. degree — from a university
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. roll — a list
  17. band — a music group
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. roll — a cake
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. degree — temperature
  22. current — of water
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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