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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: root · lash · degree · nail · fan · kid · coach · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kid — to tease
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stock — goods
  17. root — the cause
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. kid — child
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. nail — for a hammer

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