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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 116 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: nail · suit · season · key · branch · sharp · stock · degree

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. key — the most important part
  4. degree — temperature
  5. sharp — clever
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stock — goods
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. key — for a lock
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — shares
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — of the year
  17. degree — an amount
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. key — in music
  22. branch — a division
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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