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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: tube · stock · lie · court · rush · mouse · suit · degree

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stock — goods
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. suit — in cards
  7. degree — temperature
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of law
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tube — a container
  24. lie — an untruth

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