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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: degree · object · kid · bulb · current · wax · key · fork

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. current — of water
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. object — to protest
  6. degree — temperature
  7. key — for a lock
  8. current — happening now
  9. fork — in a road
  10. kid — child
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. current — electric
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wax — to grow
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — the most important part
  20. object — an aim
  21. key — in music
  22. object — a thing
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. degree — an amount

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