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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — to come from
  7. firm — steady
  8. season — in sport
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. tube — the underground
  13. season — of the year
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lean — thin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. bowl — a football final

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