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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
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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: stock · degree · pitcher · trunk · key · bass · rush · calf

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stock — goods
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. bass — low music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. key — in music
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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