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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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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. last — finally
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cap — a hat

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