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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: dip · fork · stock · bore · cell · degree · ball · foot

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ball — a dance
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bore — to drill
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ball — a great time
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stock — goods
  16. degree — temperature
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cell — a phone
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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