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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — of water
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stock — shares
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spring — the season
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. root — of a word
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stock — goods
  24. spring — a coil

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