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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stock — goods
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. current — happening now
  6. face — part of the head
  7. drill — the tool
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. current — electric
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. face — to confront
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. degree — an amount
  16. current — of water
  17. drill — army training
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stock — shares
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. scale — size or range

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