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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. season — in sport
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. degree — temperature
  7. season — of the year
  8. current — happening now
  9. ground — the earth
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ground — a position
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — electric
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ground — crushed
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. scale — size or range
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — in music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stock — goods
  24. current — of water

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