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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stock — shares
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. current — electric
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. current — of water
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bass — low music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stock — goods
  22. key — for a lock
  23. degree — temperature
  24. dip — to sink

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