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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. club — a group
  5. stock — shares
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. degree — an amount
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. club — for dancing
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ball — a great time
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. degree — from a university
  17. snap — to click
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ball — a dance
  21. club — for golf
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. vault — a safe

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