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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: rock · squash · hide · deal · land · degree · pit · bear

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bear — the animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. land — to come down
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rock — music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. land — a country
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. land — ground
  18. degree — an amount
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hide — to keep secret

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