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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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. staff — employees
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stock — goods
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. net — in sport
  22. stock — shares
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stock — a soup base

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