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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · bowl · stick · degree · sharp · stock · ground · chest

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chest — a box
  5. date — the fruit
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. degree — from a university
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ground — a position
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. degree — an amount
  24. sharp — exactly

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