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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rush — hurry
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — in control
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bound — obliged
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bound — certain
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. snap — to click
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — a price
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stem — to come from

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