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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.

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: present · degree · suit · stock · root · ground · ball · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. root — the cause
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. degree — from a university
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ground — the earth
  9. degree — temperature
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stock — goods
  12. ground — a position
  13. present — a gift
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. present — the time now
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stock — shares
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. root — of a word
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. present — there
  24. ball — a great time

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