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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: face · rush · land · stock · mouse · degree · mark · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mark — a grade
  4. face — to point toward
  5. land — to come down
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. land — ground
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. degree — an amount
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. land — a country
  17. stock — shares
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stock — goods
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mark — a trace
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rush — hurry

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