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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: current · bear · bank · rush · ball · degree · kick · rock

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. degree — an amount
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. current — happening now
  7. rock — music
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bank — for money
  11. ball — a dance
  12. current — electric
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. current — of water
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bank — of a river
  19. kick — in football
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. degree — from a university
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bear — the animal

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