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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. degree — temperature
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — a law
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stem — to come from
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rock — music
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. staff — employees
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rule — government
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wake — before a funeral

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