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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. firm — steady
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. row — to paddle
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. firm — decided
  14. row — a line
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chip — for betting
  21. degree — an amount
  22. chip — to eat
  23. firm — a company
  24. fan — a supporter

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