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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. firm — steady
  3. track — a song
  4. ground — a position
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. degree — from a university
  10. firm — decided
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stock — goods
  15. face — to point toward
  16. track — a path
  17. face — to confront
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stock — shares
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ground — crushed
  23. firm — a company
  24. ground — the earth

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