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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kick — in football
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. degree — temperature
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. degree — an amount
  8. object — to protest
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cap — a hat
  12. foot — a measure
  13. degree — from a university
  14. current — happening now
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. scale — in music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. current — electric
  20. scale — size or range
  21. current — of water
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. object — a thing
  24. kick — with a leg

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