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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pop — to visit
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mug — a face
  11. pop — music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stem — to come from
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pop — soda
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mug — a cup

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