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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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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: degree · rock · staff · stock · pitcher · clip · mate · band

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stock — shares
  3. mate — a friend
  4. degree — temperature
  5. clip — to cut
  6. staff — employees
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rock — a stone
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. clip — a video
  12. staff — employees
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. band — a ring
  21. clip — for paper
  22. staff — a stick
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rock — music

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