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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: racket · kid · mark · object · stock · branch · degree · bore

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. object — a thing
  3. kid — child
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stock — goods
  7. bore — to drill
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. object — an aim
  10. mark — a trace
  11. degree — temperature
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stock — shares
  14. branch — a division
  15. degree — an amount
  16. object — to protest
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bore — to tire
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. kid — to tease
  24. branch — of a bank

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