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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. stand — to bear
  7. degree — temperature
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rule — a law
  10. stock — shares
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stock — goods
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — of water
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — government

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