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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: nail · current · squash · rash · degree · pitch · dip · stock

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. current — electric
  8. pitch — completely
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. degree — an amount
  11. squash — to crush
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — a series
  14. degree — from a university
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. squash — the sport
  20. dip — to sink
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. degree — temperature
  23. current — of water
  24. stock — a soup base

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