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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — of water
  4. pit — in a race
  5. degree — from a university
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — to come from
  8. court — for sport
  9. bank — of a river
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. object — to protest
  13. degree — an amount
  14. court — of a king
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pit — a hole
  18. object — a thing
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. object — an aim
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lie — an untruth

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