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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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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: pound · degree · bowl · roll · mate · stem · toast · straw

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mate — a partner
  11. toast — bread
  12. pound — a weight
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. roll — a cake

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