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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: hide · toast · stem · wave · court · net · mark · degree

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. degree — from a university
  8. toast — bread
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. net — after costs
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. court — of a king
  13. degree — an amount
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a grade
  16. court — for sport
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. court — of law
  20. stem — to come from
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mark — a trace
  24. degree — temperature

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