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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pop — soda
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pop — music
  10. cue — a hint
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mark — a grade
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cue — for pool
  24. plane — a tool

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