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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: ball · rule · dip · key · plane · foot · stock · degree

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ball — a dance
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rule — government
  10. key — the most important part
  11. degree — from a university
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rule — a law
  14. foot — a measure
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. degree — temperature
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. key — in music
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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