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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. current — of water
  3. degree — an amount
  4. root — the cause
  5. march — the month
  6. current — happening now
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stock — shares
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. root — of a plant
  11. march — music
  12. stock — goods
  13. current — electric
  14. craft — a skill
  15. degree — from a university
  16. march — the month
  17. root — of a word
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. craft — boats
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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