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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 120 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: degree · bowl · ruler · stock · branch · sharp · nail · deal

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. branch — a division
  12. stock — goods
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stock — shares

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