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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ground · current · wind · degree · bowl · fan · dip · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cue — a hint
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. ground — a position
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. degree — temperature
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wind — moving air
  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