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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. degree — temperature
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. track — to keep track
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rock — music
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. track — a path
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cap — a lid

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