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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. firm — steady
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. firm — decided
  7. dip — to sink
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. degree — an amount
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stem — to come from
  15. firm — a company
  16. game — a match
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. vault — a safe

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