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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: bay · foot · pit · can · spring · degree · stock · pitcher

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. degree — temperature
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pit — a hole
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spring — of water
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stock — goods
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. degree — from a university
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stock — shares
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pitcher — a jug

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