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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
468
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 · wound · key · season · degree · stock · racket · mark

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mark — a trace
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stock — shares
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. season — of the year
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stock — goods
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — in sport

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