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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fall — to drop
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fall — the season
  12. root — the cause
  13. degree — from a university
  14. spell — a short time
  15. root — of a plant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spell — magic
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pit — in a race
  24. root — of a word

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