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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 116 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. bear — the animal
  5. firm — decided
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — wild animals
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. game — a match
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. degree — temperature
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stock — goods
  23. bear — the animal
  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