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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. scale — in music
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. scale — size or range
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. current — happening now
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stock — shares
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — of water
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cell — a phone
  17. current — electric
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. cell — in biology
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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