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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. degree — temperature
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a dance
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rule — government
  16. stock — goods
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stock — shares
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rule — a law

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