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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 116 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: degree · lash · leaves · stock · staff · current · kid · pitch

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pitch — completely
  3. current — of water
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. current — electric
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. degree — temperature
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. staff — employees
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. staff — employees
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stock — shares
  18. degree — an amount
  19. current — happening now
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stock — goods
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. kid — child
  24. leaves — to go away

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