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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: degree · straw · patient · board · object · pitcher · current · temple

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. current — happening now
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — temperature
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. object — to protest
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. degree — an amount
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. current — of water
  11. object — a thing
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. board — a committee
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. object — an aim
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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