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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. present — a gift
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mark — a trace
  5. court — of law
  6. craft — boats
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — there
  10. craft — a skill
  11. court — of a king
  12. cap — a lid
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cap — of ice
  15. court — for sport
  16. present — the time now
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stem — to come from
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mark — to pay attention

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