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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wind — moving air
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — from a university
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. key — in music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. press — newspapers
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cue — a hint
  22. key — the most important part
  23. press — to push
  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