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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pit — a hole
  7. last — to go on
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. last — finally
  11. track — a song
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mate — a friend
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. track — a path
  23. mate — a partner
  24. last — final

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