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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. vault — a safe
  4. court — of law
  5. row — to paddle
  6. degree — an amount
  7. firm — decided
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. present — there
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. degree — from a university
  14. can — to be able to
  15. firm — steady
  16. present — a gift
  17. stem — to come from
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — temperature
  22. firm — a company
  23. can — a tin
  24. present — the time now

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