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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: degree · saw · cap · ball · toast · stock · bat · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stock — goods
  5. bat — the animal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ball — a great time
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cap — a hat
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — shares
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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