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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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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: stem · bay · bat · calf · pass · race · degree · fan

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. pass — a permit
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bat — the animal
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stem — to come from
  17. degree — from a university
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. race — humankind
  24. bat — in an idiom

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