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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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bank — of a river
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stem — to come from
  9. degree — temperature
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bank — for money
  12. ground — a position
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — the animal

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