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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: pop · craft · stock · sharp · arm · degree · cap · fan

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stock — goods
  4. cap — of ice
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stock — shares
  8. pop — to visit
  9. sharp — clever
  10. craft — a skill
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cap — a hat
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pop — music
  23. craft — boats
  24. pop — soda

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