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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rule — government
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. net — after costs
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. net — in sport
  13. rule — a law
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. net — for catching
  20. stem — to come from
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pitcher — a jug

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