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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: deal · field · pitcher · lean · key · mate · degree · current

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. lean — thin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. current — electric
  6. degree — from a university
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. degree — temperature
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. key — for a lock
  15. field — farmland
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mate — a partner
  19. field — a subject
  20. deal — to handle
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitcher — a jug

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