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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. degree — temperature
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — the fish
  7. board — to get on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mug — a face
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. board — a committee
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stock — shares
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mug — to rob
  19. degree — from a university
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — a cup
  22. chest — a box
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bulb — for light

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