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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: stock · sharp · key · degree · bear · dip · scale · plane

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. dip — to sink
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stock — goods
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. degree — temperature
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — in music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. key — for a lock
  22. scale — size or range
  23. key — the most important part
  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