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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: mark · board · spring · stem · degree · perch · snap · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. degree — temperature
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mark — a trace
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. deal — to handle
  8. degree — an amount
  9. spring — a coil
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mark — a grade
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stem — to come from
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spring — of water
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spring — the season
  19. degree — from a university
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. snap — to click
  24. board — a committee

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