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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. degree — from a university
  3. spell — a short time
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fork — in a road
  12. degree — temperature
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. spell — magic
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spell — letters
  20. tube — a container
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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