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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · degree · bear · race · hide · chip

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. degree — an amount
  5. race — a contest
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. race — humankind
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bear — the animal

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