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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: degree · squash · dip · can · cap · sharp · foot · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cap — a lid
  5. degree — temperature
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. sharp — clever
  10. squash — the sport
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fork — in a road
  13. can — to be able to
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cap — a hat
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cap — of ice

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