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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. firm — decided
  3. row — to paddle
  4. degree — an amount
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. land — a country
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. firm — a company
  13. stock — goods
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stock — shares
  17. land — ground
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. land — to come down
  20. vault — a safe
  21. firm — steady
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. row — a line

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