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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pop — music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. degree — temperature
  10. saw — the tool
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stem — to come from
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. board — to get on
  17. pop — soda
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pop — to visit

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