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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. current — electric
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stock — shares
  7. current — happening now
  8. stock — goods
  9. degree — temperature
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — from a university
  15. game — wild animals
  16. current — of water
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. game — a match
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. game — a kind of play

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