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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. degree — an amount
  3. can — a tin
  4. bank — for money
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. can — a tin
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bank — for money
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rock — a stone
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rock — music
  17. ground — a position
  18. roll — a list
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stem — to come from
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. foot — a measure
  24. can — to be able to

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