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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. court — for sport
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mug — a face
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bear — the animal
  10. court — of a king
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. suit — clothes
  15. degree — temperature
  16. court — of law
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pit — a hole
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pit — in a race
  23. vault — a safe
  24. suit — in cards

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