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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 116 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
468
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 · leaves · fan · content · stock · craft · fine · ground

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stock — shares
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. craft — boats
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ground — a position
  10. degree — an amount
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fine — all right
  13. degree — temperature
  14. content — the amount
  15. ground — crushed
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ground — the earth
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — goods
  23. content — happy
  24. fine — a penalty

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