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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 116 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: cabinet · cap · bank · land · saw · stock · chip · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stock — goods
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. land — to come down
  10. degree — from a university
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bank — for money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — shares
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. saw — the tool
  19. land — ground
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. land — a country

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