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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 · bowl · spell · wake · safe · mine · degree · bulb

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — temperature
  9. spell — magic
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — letters
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. current — of water
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. current — happening now
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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