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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bound — tied together
  3. degree — an amount
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. degree — temperature
  8. spell — magic
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fine — all right
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pit — a hole
  18. degree — from a university
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spell — letters
  21. fall — the season
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bound — certain

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