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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lean — thin
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pop — soda
  16. suit — to fit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. suit — clothes
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lean — to bend
  21. scale — in music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pop — music
  24. degree — from a university

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