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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · leaves · stock · bat · chest · board · degree · roll

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stock — goods
  3. chest — of your body
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bat — the animal
  8. roll — a list
  9. mark — a grade
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mark — a trace
  12. degree — temperature
  13. board — to get on
  14. chest — a box
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. degree — an amount
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stock — shares
  21. roll — a cake
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. board — a committee

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