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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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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stock — shares
  15. stand — to bear
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. degree — from a university
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stock — goods
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. foot — the bottom

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