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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: mate · hide · stock · ball · cap · vault · degree · stick

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. stock — goods
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cap — a hat
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stock — shares
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mate — a partner
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mate — a friend
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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