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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: degree · lie · key · mine · root · land · stock · coach

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stock — goods
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. stock — shares
  8. root — of a word
  9. key — in music
  10. land — to come down
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lie — to recline
  13. land — a country
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. land — ground
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. key — for a lock

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