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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · stem · present · land · degree · wax · can · racket

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. can — a tin
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rule — government
  9. land — to come down
  10. present — the time now
  11. land — a country
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. degree — an amount
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. present — a gift
  19. degree — temperature
  20. land — ground
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rule — a law
  23. degree — from a university
  24. can — to be able to

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