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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. kick — in football
  3. degree — an amount
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. degree — from a university
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. file — a document
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. file — a tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. file — a line of people
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stem — to come from
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bass — low music

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