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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
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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: mine · foot · fan · stock · track · degree · cabinet · mouse

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. degree — an amount
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. stock — goods
  20. degree — temperature
  21. track — a song
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mouse — for a computer

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