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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pit — in a race
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. degree — temperature
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. current — happening now
  13. stock — shares
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — goods
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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