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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 116 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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. degree — temperature
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. game — a match
  12. stock — goods
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. scale — in music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. game — wild animals
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. stock — shares

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