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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: degree · tear · arm · stem · bank · ground · saw · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. degree — temperature
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stem — to come from
  8. tear — to rip
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ground — a position
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. ground — the earth
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. ground — crushed

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