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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — a gift
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. craft — boats
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wake — a trail
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. present — the time now
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stem — to come from
  15. degree — an amount
  16. present — there
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bank — for money
  22. rock — music
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. craft — a skill

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