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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 · dip · bear · coach · mark · face · stock · pitcher

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. degree — an amount
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. degree — temperature
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. degree — from a university
  19. face — to confront
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. dip — to sink

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