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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. degree — an amount
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. degree — from a university
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stock — shares
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. club — for golf
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. degree — temperature
  13. club — a group
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. snap — to click
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. hide — to keep secret

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