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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 116 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: stock · fall · bay · stem · degree · swing · pitcher · present

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. swing — music
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. swing — in golf
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stem — to come from
  10. present — there
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — from a university
  13. present — a gift
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. present — the time now
  17. fall — the season
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — goods
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stock — shares
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fall — to drop

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