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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cue — for pool
  7. season — in sport
  8. stem — to come from
  9. chair — a leader
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. season — of the year
  14. can — to be able to
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cue — a signal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. branch — a division
  24. chair — to sit on

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