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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: bear · stem · jam · degree · cap · stick · press · safe

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. press — a publisher
  3. degree — an amount
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stem — to come from
  18. degree — from a university
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bear — the animal
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. press — to push
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cap — of ice

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