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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. file — a document
  3. pop — music
  4. file — a tool
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pop — to visit
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — soda
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. present — a gift
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. present — there
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. present — the time now
  20. stem — to come from
  21. snap — to click
  22. rock — music
  23. degree — an amount
  24. racket — for tennis

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