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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. degree — an amount
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. degree — temperature
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stand — to bear
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. race — a contest
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. degree — from a university
  23. race — humankind
  24. arm — part of the body

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