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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: can · stock · date · stem · degree · pitcher · bay · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. degree — an amount
  3. stock — shares
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. can — a tin
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stock — goods
  23. date — the fruit
  24. stem — to come from

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