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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: hide · stick · mug · degree · bowl · bay · tube · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mug — a cup
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. tube — the underground
  13. degree — an amount
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mug — a face
  16. root — of a word
  17. tube — a container
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. root — of a plant
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. degree — from a university
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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