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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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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: fork · degree · tear · dip · safe · cap · deal · stock

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stock — goods
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. tear — to rip
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. dip — to sink
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cap — a lid
  14. degree — from a university
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — of ice
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cap — a hat
  22. deal — to handle
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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