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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: fork · field · ruler · current · pit · shower · racket · degree

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — for sport
  6. degree — temperature
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — electric
  10. degree — an amount
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. shower — rain
  13. fork — in a road
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pit — a hole

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