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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. degree — an amount
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. current — electric
  6. board — a committee
  7. lean — thin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stock — shares
  10. degree — temperature
  11. current — happening now
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. date — the fruit
  16. degree — from a university
  17. board — to get on
  18. current — of water
  19. chip — to eat
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. track — a song

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