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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 124 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rash — a series
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pitch — completely
  5. spring — of water
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mark — a grade
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spring — the season
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rash — hasty
  24. degree — an amount

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