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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. track — to keep track
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bound — certain
  6. stock — goods
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — of water
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bore — to drill
  14. track — a path
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stock — shares
  17. degree — an amount
  18. track — a song
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bound — tied together

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