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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.

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: fall · net · stick · degree · current · track · saw · mouse

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. degree — an amount
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. net — after costs
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fall — to drop
  14. net — in sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fall — the season
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fall — to drop
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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