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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 120 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: stock · bass · rush · degree · ball · stem · bore · chip

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bass — low music
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. degree — temperature
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stock — shares
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stock — goods
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bore — to tire

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