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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — from a university
  3. cap — a lid
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — temperature
  12. last — final
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. last — finally
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stem — to come from
  24. scale — in music

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