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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. plane — a tool
  3. degree — an amount
  4. capital — a city
  5. bank — of a river
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stock — goods
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. suit — in cards
  10. capital — money
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. degree — temperature
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stock — shares
  19. bank — for money
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lash — an eyelash

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