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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: firm · jam · degree · stem · fan · mate · bore · land

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. land — to come down
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stem — to come from
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. land — ground
  15. firm — decided
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bore — to drill
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. land — a country
  23. mate — a partner
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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