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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. spring — of water
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pop — soda
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spring — the season
  11. present — there
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cue — for pool
  14. present — the time now
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. present — a gift
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pop — music
  24. stem — a stem cell

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