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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pit — a hole
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stock — goods
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stock — shares
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — to push
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fine — all right
  24. mark — a trace

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