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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. degree — temperature
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kick — in football
  10. clip — a video
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. clip — for paper
  19. chip — for betting
  20. clip — to cut
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pit — a hole
  23. degree — an amount
  24. kick — a thrill

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