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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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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: degree · game · current · mark · deal · toast · stick · bear

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — from a university
  3. game — a match
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mark — a grade
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. degree — temperature
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bear — the animal
  18. toast — bread
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. current — electric
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. deal — to handle

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