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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: last · suit · mate · degree · stock · ground · safe · lean

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stock — shares
  4. ground — the earth
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mate — to breed
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. degree — from a university
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. last — finally
  12. ground — a position
  13. stock — goods
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lean — thin
  17. mate — a partner
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. degree — an amount
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — to bend

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