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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mug — a face
  3. stock — shares
  4. firm — a company
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. firm — steady
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stock — goods
  14. mug — to rob
  15. firm — decided
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. degree — from a university

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