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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stock — goods
  4. degree — an amount
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stock — shares
  11. rest — a break
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rest — what's left
  14. suit — to fit
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. spell — letters
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. suit — clothes
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stem — to come from

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