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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cell — a phone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cell — in biology
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bank — for money
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. degree — an amount

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