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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. land — to come down
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. object — to protest
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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