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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mug — a face
  6. staff — employees
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. file — a document
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. file — a tool
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bass — low music
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mouse — for a computer

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