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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: stock · staff · dip · degree · plane · cue · game · current

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — to sink
  5. current — electric
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cue — for pool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. current — of water
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cue — a hint
  12. degree — temperature
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cue — a signal
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — shares
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. current — happening now

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