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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: stem · degree · nail · jam · board · pass · ball · scale

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ball — a dance
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. degree — an amount
  9. scale — size or range
  10. degree — temperature
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. board — to get on
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ball — a great time
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pass — a permit
  17. scale — in music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. board — a committee
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. ball — a round shape

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