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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
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: stock · cap · kick · degree · ball · bank · band · mine

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cap — a hat
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. band — a music group
  14. mine — for digging
  15. band — a ring
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stock — shares
  23. bank — for money
  24. kick — in football

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