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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: pitch · mouse · ruler · stock · stem · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — completely

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