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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: fine · content · stock · key · current · degree · bank · cell

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. current — electric
  4. bank — for money
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. key — in music
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. current — of water
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cell — in biology
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. current — happening now
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stock — shares
  20. content — happy
  21. bank — for money
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bank — of a river
  24. key — for a lock

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