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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: stock · degree · fall · hide · track · root · key · march

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. degree — from a university
  5. root — of a word
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fall — the season
  8. root — of a plant
  9. march — the month
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. degree — an amount
  13. key — in music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. march — music
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. stock — shares
  21. key — the most important part
  22. degree — temperature
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stock — goods

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