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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: cap · stock · degree · cue · rush · fan · dip · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. degree — temperature
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cue — for pool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stock — goods
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cue — a hint

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