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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: staff · suit · arm · degree · fan · cap · stock · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. suit — to fit
  5. season — in sport
  6. degree — an amount
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. degree — temperature
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. stock — goods
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — shares
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cap — a hat

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