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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: mug · lean · kick · spell · stock · degree · fine · staff

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — an amount
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. staff — employees
  5. kick — in football
  6. spell — letters
  7. staff — a stick
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lean — thin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. mug — a cup
  20. staff — employees
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stock — goods
  24. fine — a penalty

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