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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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. present — the time now
  4. bark — to shout
  5. net — in sport
  6. present — there
  7. stem — to come from
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bank — for money
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bank — for money
  14. present — a gift
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. net — for catching
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. net — after costs
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bank — of a river
  24. safe — out of danger

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