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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. spring — the season
  5. drill — a practice
  6. degree — from a university
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. drill — army training
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stem — to come from
  11. spring — of water
  12. pitch — completely
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pound — a weight
  18. spring — a coil
  19. drill — the tool
  20. club — a group
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stem — of a plant
  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