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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: cell · calf · stem · degree · tube · jam · pit · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pit — in a race
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. stem — to come from
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. tube — a container
  12. degree — an amount
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pit — a hole
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. tube — the underground
  24. jam — in traffic

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