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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. track — a path
  3. stock — shares
  4. degree — temperature
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stock — goods
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tube — the underground
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stem — to come from
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. track — a song
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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