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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. craft — boats
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cue — for pool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cue — a hint
  14. craft — a skill
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ball — a great time
  17. capital — a city
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. capital — money
  24. ball — a round shape

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