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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: pound · last · stem · degree · can · staff · root · rule

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stem — to come from
  4. last — finally
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pound — a weight
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. degree — an amount
  11. root — of a word
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — a law
  15. degree — from a university
  16. last — to go on
  17. root — the cause
  18. degree — temperature
  19. staff — employees
  20. rule — government
  21. staff — employees
  22. can — a tin
  23. last — final
  24. can — to be able to

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