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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 120 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. can — a tin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. can — to be able to
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stem — to come from
  18. land — ground
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bass — low music
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bass — the fish
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stem — of a plant

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