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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 120 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: degree · ball · plane · stem · hand · bore · court · bulb

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. court — of a king
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hand — help
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. degree — from a university
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. plane — a tool
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stem — to come from
  24. ball — a dance

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