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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · squash · track · board · degree · mouse · vault · stock

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. degree — from a university
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stock — goods
  12. degree — an amount
  13. board — to get on
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. board — a committee
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. degree — temperature
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — shares

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