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

Word bank: stand · perch · degree · stem · hide · pound

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stand — to bear
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stem — to come from
  12. degree — temperature
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators

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