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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 · mark · dip · lie · craft · foot · stock · cabinet

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. craft — boats
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. craft — a skill
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. degree — from a university

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