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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: foot · degree · track · pass · stem · ground · toast · cap

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pass — a permit
  4. degree — an amount
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stem — to come from
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. degree — temperature
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. toast — bread
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ground — the earth
  18. track — to keep track
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ground — a position
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cap — a hat
  24. toast — the most admired

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