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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. club — for golf
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — of water
  9. degree — an amount
  10. club — a group
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pop — to visit
  14. current — happening now
  15. pop — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — shares
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stock — goods
  20. current — electric
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cell — a phone

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