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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: current · key · kid · calf · racket · straw · cabinet · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. current — of water
  4. key — for a lock
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. kid — child
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. kid — to tease
  15. key — in music
  16. current — happening now
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. key — the most important part
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. current — electric
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cabinet — ministers

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