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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.

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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: arm · degree · sharp · stem · current · stock · deal · staff

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. current — happening now
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stock — shares
  10. staff — employees
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. current — of water
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stock — goods
  19. current — electric
  20. staff — a stick
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. degree — an amount
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stem — a stem cell

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