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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. current — happening now
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. degree — an amount
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stock — goods
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. current — electric
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. hand — help
  17. current — of water
  18. race — a contest
  19. fall — to drop
  20. race — humankind
  21. hand — in cards
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stock — shares
  24. race — the arms race

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