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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bound — tied together
  4. current — happening now
  5. land — to come down
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stock — shares
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. bound — certain
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rock — music
  20. degree — temperature
  21. current — of water
  22. tube — a container
  23. current — electric
  24. rock — a stone

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