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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. board — to get on
  3. current — electric
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — to handle
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mug — a face
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stock — goods
  11. file — a line of people
  12. current — of water
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. degree — an amount
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. current — happening now
  19. mug — to rob
  20. file — a document
  21. board — a committee
  22. stock — shares
  23. file — a tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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