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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. band — a music group
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. band — a ring
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mark — a grade
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. degree — an amount

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