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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. field — farmland
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. degree — from a university
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stem — to come from
  16. saw — the tool
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. key — in music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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