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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. mate — to breed
  4. current — electric
  5. cap — a hat
  6. net — after costs
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mug — to rob
  10. current — happening now
  11. degree — an amount
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stock — shares
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — goods
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mug — a face
  20. current — of water
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cap — a lid

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