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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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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pop — music
  3. current — happening now
  4. kick — in football
  5. stock — shares
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. board — to get on
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. current — of water
  14. board — a committee
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pop — soda
  17. degree — from a university
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stock — goods
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. current — electric
  24. pop — to visit

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