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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: root · fine · stock · wound · spell · board · calf · degree

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. degree — an amount
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. fine — all right
  8. spell — magic
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fine — high quality
  13. degree — temperature
  14. root — of a word
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. stock — shares
  18. root — the cause
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stock — goods
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — to get on

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