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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. current — of water
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stock — goods
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bulb — for light
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. current — happening now
  14. chest — of your body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. current — electric
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stock — shares
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chest — of your body
  23. row — a line
  24. chest — a box

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