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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — for sport
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. current — happening now
  11. field — a subject
  12. degree — temperature
  13. branch — a division
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. court — of law
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. court — of a king
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. degree — from a university
  24. firm — a company

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