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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: pit · pound · fine · degree · nail · wave · root · stock

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — shares
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stock — goods
  9. degree — temperature
  10. root — of a word
  11. fine — high quality
  12. degree — an amount
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fine — all right
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pit — in a race

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