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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: mug · ground · degree · nail · track · roll · current · present

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mug — a face
  3. roll — a list
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. ground — crushed
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mug — to rob
  9. present — there
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. ground — the earth
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. degree — temperature
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. roll — a cake
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mug — a cup
  20. track — a path
  21. present — a gift
  22. ground — a position
  23. current — electric
  24. present — the time now

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