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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: degree · squash · mug · key · dip · saw · stock · kick

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. squash — to crush
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mug — a face
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stock — shares
  10. mug — to rob
  11. degree — temperature
  12. key — for a lock
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. key — in music
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stock — goods
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. saw — the tool
  24. dip — to sink

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