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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. degree — temperature
  3. court — for sport
  4. stem — to come from
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. firm — steady
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. firm — decided
  13. sharp — clever
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pit — in a race
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. degree — from a university
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stem — a stem cell

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