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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cap — of ice
  4. net — for catching
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. degree — temperature
  9. net — after costs
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stem — to come from
  13. suit — clothes
  14. net — in sport
  15. rock — a stone
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cap — a hat
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rock — music
  23. bound — certain
  24. degree — from a university

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