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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: stock · hide · temple · dip · degree · mouse · game · trunk

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. dip — to sink
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. degree — from a university
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. game — wild animals
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stock — shares
  21. game — a match
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stock — goods

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