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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. current — happening now
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. current — electric
  5. degree — from a university
  6. face — part of the head
  7. current — of water
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stock — goods
  10. cue — a hint
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — size or range
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stock — shares
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. scale — in music
  19. face — to point toward
  20. press — newspapers
  21. face — to confront
  22. staff — a stick
  23. press — to push
  24. cue — a signal

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