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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stock — shares
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — electric
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — goods
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bass — low music

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