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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bass — low music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. charge — in control
  7. stock — shares
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. charge — electricity
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. charge — a price
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cue — a hint
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stock — goods

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