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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 116 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: spring · fan · degree · pitcher · current · bore · mark · pitch

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. spring — the season
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spring — of water
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. current — happening now
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mark — a trace

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