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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stock — shares
  3. current — of water
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. firm — decided
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. firm — a company
  13. current — electric
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. current — happening now
  20. stock — goods
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bark — to shout
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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