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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. degree — an amount
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. race — a contest
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stem — to come from
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wake — a trail
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. race — humankind
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stock — shares
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stock — goods
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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