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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
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: last · fan · bat · chip · degree · key · snap · current

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — happening now
  4. last — final
  5. current — of water
  6. last — finally
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. degree — an amount
  10. key — the most important part
  11. last — to go on
  12. bat — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. key — for a lock
  17. current — electric
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. degree — from a university
  21. key — in music
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. degree — temperature

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