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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cap — of ice
  5. face — to point toward
  6. degree — temperature
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. dip — to sink
  10. key — for a lock
  11. track — a song
  12. degree — an amount
  13. face — part of the head
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cap — a lid
  17. face — to confront
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. track — a path
  21. cue — a hint
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cue — a signal

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