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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. press — to push
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. degree — an amount
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. degree — temperature
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — a publisher
  15. degree — from a university
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. mine — for digging
  21. press — newspapers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. current — of water
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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