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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: degree · field · rule · stock · ball · key · bear · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rule — a law
  3. field — a subject
  4. present — a gift
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. degree — temperature
  9. key — for a lock
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. stock — shares
  13. bear — the animal
  14. present — there
  15. ball — a dance
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stock — goods
  23. rule — government
  24. 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