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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: can · stock · hide · saw · mouse · degree · present · nail

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — an amount
  3. present — there
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — shares
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. present — a gift
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stock — goods
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. present — the time now
  20. degree — temperature
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. can — a tin
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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