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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 120 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: bore · stem · ground · can · foot · lie · squash · degree

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ground — crushed
  6. degree — from a university
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. can — a tin
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ground — a position
  14. lie — to recline
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bore — to drill
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lie — an untruth

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