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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 · wound · mark · cap · wake · tube · roll · stock

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stock — shares
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a hat
  11. degree — temperature
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mark — a trace
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stock — goods
  23. degree — an amount
  24. tube — the underground

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