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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bark — to shout
  4. season — of the year
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. degree — an amount
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. degree — temperature
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. degree — from a university
  23. season — in sport
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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