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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. row — a line
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. row — to paddle
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. current — of water
  8. stock — shares
  9. current — electric
  10. capital — money
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. present — there
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. degree — temperature
  16. present — a gift
  17. bore — to drill
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stock — goods
  22. current — happening now
  23. capital — a city
  24. degree — from a university

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