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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stem — to come from
  8. track — a path
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. march — music
  13. key — in music
  14. track — a song
  15. degree — from a university
  16. march — the month
  17. game — wild animals
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ruler — for measuring

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