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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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. degree — an amount
  4. rock — music
  5. stem — to come from
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. march — the month
  13. rest — what's left
  14. degree — temperature
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. march — music
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rest — a break
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mug — a face

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