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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.

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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: spell · bore · fine · trunk · stock · saw · stem · degree

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. spell — magic
  6. saw — the tool
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stock — goods
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stem — to come from
  12. degree — from a university
  13. spell — a short time
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bore — to tire
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spell — letters
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. degree — temperature
  24. fine — all right

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