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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 120 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 · firm · stock · cap · bore · present · staff · face

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. staff — employees
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. degree — temperature
  6. face — to confront
  7. cap — a hat
  8. degree — from a university
  9. firm — steady
  10. present — the time now
  11. cap — of ice
  12. firm — decided
  13. staff — employees
  14. present — there
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stock — goods
  18. firm — a company
  19. face — part of the head
  20. staff — a stick
  21. face — to point toward
  22. present — a gift
  23. bore — to drill
  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