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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · pop · root · march · nail · stock · degree · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stock — goods
  3. degree — temperature
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. root — the cause
  8. degree — an amount
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. drill — army training
  11. march — music
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pop — soda
  14. fine — high quality
  15. march — the month
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stock — shares
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fine — all right
  23. pop — music
  24. march — the month

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