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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. shower — rain
  2. scale — in music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. shower — to wash
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pit — a hole
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — size or range
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — a break
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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