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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. swing — music
  9. stock — goods
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stock — shares
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — the tool

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