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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: net · scale · object · face · stock · degree · cap · dip

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. scale — size or range
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stock — goods
  7. object — a thing
  8. face — to confront
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stock — shares
  12. object — to protest
  13. face — part of the head
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. face — to point toward
  17. net — after costs
  18. cap — of ice
  19. object — an aim
  20. degree — temperature
  21. net — for catching
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. net — in sport
  24. scale — in music

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