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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: stock · foot · pass · roll · calf · degree · ball · lie

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stock — shares
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a great time
  9. roll — a cake
  10. degree — temperature
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. roll — a list
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. degree — from a university
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stock — goods
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pass — a permit

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