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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — high quality
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fine — all right
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. current — of water
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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