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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. degree — an amount
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — in sport
  8. toast — bread
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. perch — the fish
  14. net — for catching
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. craft — boats
  20. stem — to come from
  21. craft — a skill
  22. net — after costs
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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