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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. track — a path
  4. object — to protest
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chip — for betting
  11. object — a thing
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. object — an aim
  17. track — a song
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. scale — in music
  24. track — to keep track

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