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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · mug · pit · stock · degree · lash · mark · current

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pop — music
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. mug — to rob
  12. current — electric
  13. mug — a face
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mug — a cup
  16. current — of water
  17. pop — soda
  18. mark — a trace
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. current — happening now

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