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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: mark · firm · craft · stem · degree · pound

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mark — a grade
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. craft — boats
  9. firm — steady
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. degree — an amount
  12. firm — decided
  13. pound — a weight
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mark — a trace

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