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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 116 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — to come from
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bass — the fish
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bass — low music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. safe — out of danger

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