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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: can · net · degree · stock · patient · cap · court · charge

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. net — for catching
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stock — shares
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — of a king
  10. cap — a hat
  11. degree — an amount
  12. court — for sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. stock — goods
  15. net — after costs
  16. charge — electricity
  17. can — a tin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. charge — in control
  20. court — of law
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cap — a lid
  23. net — in sport
  24. can — a tin

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