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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: mate · stick · degree · roll · bank · root · object · stock

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. root — the cause
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bank — for money
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bank — of a river
  13. roll — a list
  14. mate — to breed
  15. object — to protest
  16. stock — shares
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mate — a friend
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stock — goods
  21. root — of a word
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bank — for money

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