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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · field · degree · stock · current · bulb · bat · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. current — happening now
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stock — shares
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. field — farmland
  9. current — electric
  10. field — a subject
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. field — for sport
  16. bat — the animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. current — of water
  22. bulb — for light
  23. plane — a tool
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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