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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
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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: band · current · club · degree · rock · march · net · pit

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. degree — from a university
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. march — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. band — a ring
  8. rock — music
  9. march — the month
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. club — for golf
  13. band — a music group
  14. net — for catching
  15. march — the month
  16. current — happening now
  17. club — for dancing
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pit — a hole
  20. degree — temperature
  21. club — a group
  22. current — electric
  23. pit — in a race
  24. current — of water

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