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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. key — the most important part
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. season — of the year
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pit — a hole
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stem — to come from
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. key — in music
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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