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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. degree — temperature
  5. roll — a list
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. season — of the year
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. roll — a cake
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. craft — a skill
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. club — a group
  17. cell — in biology
  18. club — for golf
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cell — a phone
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. club — for dancing

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