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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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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stock — goods
  4. swing — music
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. root — of a plant
  9. roll — a list
  10. mate — a partner
  11. degree — an amount
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stock — shares
  14. kick — in football
  15. root — the cause
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. root — of a word
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. roll — a cake
  20. mate — a friend
  21. swing — in golf
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kick — with a leg

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