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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ground — crushed
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. firm — decided
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. firm — a company
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. degree — temperature
  15. firm — steady
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bore — gave birth

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