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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cap — a hat
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stem — to come from
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. degree — from a university
  18. kick — in football
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — to put up with

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