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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: fork · stem · perch · suit · club · cell · racket · degree

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cell — in biology
  10. club — a group
  11. degree — an amount
  12. suit — in cards
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — for dancing
  15. perch — the fish
  16. club — for golf
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. suit — to fit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. degree — temperature
  24. fork — a garden tool

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