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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: pound · fan · current · race · degree · mug · ruler · file

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. current — happening now
  3. race — humankind
  4. file — a document
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. race — a contest
  8. degree — from a university
  9. race — the arms race
  10. file — a tool
  11. mug — a face
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mug — a cup
  21. current — of water
  22. mug — to rob
  23. current — electric
  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