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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: face · bound · current · bat · arm · stock · degree · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bound — tied together
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. degree — an amount
  16. current — of water
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. current — electric
  19. face — to point toward
  20. current — happening now
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bound — certain

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