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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: degree · cabinet · can · bank · field · mug · stock · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. field — a subject
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — a face
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bank — of a river
  7. degree — from a university
  8. field — for sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. stock — shares
  11. bank — for money
  12. stock — goods
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mug — to rob
  17. sharp — clever
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mug — a cup
  20. degree — an amount
  21. field — farmland
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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