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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: ball · patient · bat · bear · degree · can · tube · current

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. tube — a container
  3. current — electric
  4. bear — the animal
  5. degree — from a university
  6. current — happening now
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — to be able to
  13. current — of water
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bat — the animal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. degree — an amount
  24. can — a tin

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