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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stock — goods
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. root — of a word
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bank — for money
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ball — a dance
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. degree — from a university
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. root — the cause
  24. stock — shares

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