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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: suit · degree · mug · content · cold · rock · bulb · current

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mug — a face
  4. current — of water
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rock — music
  7. current — happening now
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. suit — in cards
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rock — a stone
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. content — happy
  17. current — electric
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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