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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: cabinet · bat · degree · hide · racket · mark · date · bear

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bear — the animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. date — the fruit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. degree — from a university
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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