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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: mouse · degree · stem · toast · date · racket · march · kick

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. march — the month
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — the fruit
  10. march — music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. toast — bread
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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