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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pound — a weight
  5. board — to get on
  6. stock — goods
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. board — a committee
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bat — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — shares
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. degree — an amount
  24. racket — a loud noise

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