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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: tube · capital · fan · stem · date · fine · staff · degree

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. degree — from a university
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. capital — money
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. tube — a container
  8. staff — employees
  9. stem — to come from
  10. date — the fruit
  11. degree — temperature
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. capital — a city
  15. staff — employees
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. degree — an amount
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tube — the underground
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fine — all right

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