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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: suit · stem · cap · degree · dip · craft · bat · spring

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. spring — the season
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. craft — a skill
  15. degree — from a university
  16. suit — clothes
  17. spring — of water
  18. bat — the animal
  19. cap — a hat
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cap — a lid
  22. craft — boats
  23. stem — to come from
  24. suit — in cards

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