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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
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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 · degree · hide · staff · bat · ruler · game · race

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. race — a contest
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. game — a match
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. degree — temperature
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stock — goods
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. race — humankind
  21. staff — employees
  22. race — the arms race
  23. degree — an amount
  24. game — wild animals

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