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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: bat · stock · drill · cap · dip · suit · key · degree

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. suit — to fit
  3. dip — to sink
  4. degree — an amount
  5. cap — a lid
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. key — in music
  8. drill — the tool
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. drill — a practice
  14. suit — clothes
  15. stock — shares
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stock — goods
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. cap — a hat
  21. drill — army training
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cap — of ice

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