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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. degree — an amount
  3. board — to get on
  4. can — a tin
  5. board — a committee
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bank — for money
  9. rock — a stone
  10. degree — temperature
  11. court — for sport
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bank — of a river
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bank — for money
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. rock — music
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. vault — a safe

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