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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · stem · fine · straw · staff · swing

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fine — high quality
  4. staff — employees
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. staff — a stick
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. degree — an amount
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fine — all right
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stem — to come from
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. staff — employees
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. degree — temperature
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music

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