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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 120 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: bowl · season · rush · stock · degree · safe · sharp · hide

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stock — goods
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. degree — an amount
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. season — of the year
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stock — shares
  12. degree — from a university
  13. season — in sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rush — a thrill

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