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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · drill · current · pit · degree · stick · bank · tube

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. degree — an amount
  4. net — after costs
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — of water
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. drill — army training
  12. net — in sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — a practice
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tube — a container
  20. pit — a hole
  21. net — for catching
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. current — electric

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