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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: stick · stock · drill · stem · leaves · pound · safe · degree

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — shares
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pound — a weight
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. degree — temperature

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