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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. degree — temperature
  3. scale — size or range
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. scale — in music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. row — a line
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. row — a quarrel

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