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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. firm — steady
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. firm — decided
  12. shower — rain
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rock — a stone
  21. firm — a company
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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