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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 124 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bear — the animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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