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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.

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: trunk · stock · suit · key · degree · capital · root · plane

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. degree — an amount
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. suit — clothes
  9. degree — temperature
  10. suit — to fit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. root — the cause
  13. plane — a tool
  14. degree — from a university
  15. capital — money
  16. stock — shares
  17. capital — a city
  18. root — of a plant
  19. key — for a lock
  20. root — of a word
  21. suit — in cards
  22. key — in music
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stock — goods

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