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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: tear · cabinet · stock · mouse · mug · degree · present · trunk

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. mug — a face
  3. stock — goods
  4. tear — from crying
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. present — the time now
  10. degree — from a university
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stock — shares
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. present — there
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. degree — temperature
  23. present — a gift
  24. mug — to rob

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