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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.

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 · hand · sharp · current · kid · object · bowl · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. current — of water
  3. object — an aim
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. object — a thing
  6. kid — child
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. current — electric
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — to tease
  18. current — happening now
  19. degree — from a university
  20. object — to protest
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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