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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: season · degree · board · cue · stem · tear · can · spell

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stem — to come from
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. can — a tin
  9. tear — from crying
  10. degree — temperature
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cue — a hint
  15. season — of the year
  16. can — to be able to
  17. board — a committee
  18. cue — a signal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. spell — magic
  23. season — in sport
  24. board — to get on

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