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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rush — hurry
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fine — all right
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. suit — clothes
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rush — a thrill

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