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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. degree — temperature
  3. court — of law
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. shower — to wash
  11. court — of a king
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. shower — rain
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. press — a publisher
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stem — to come from
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. press — to push
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stem — a stem cell

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