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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: kick · firm · degree · rock · bay · kid · chair · stem

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kid — child
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chair — a leader
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stem — to come from
  11. firm — a company
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rock — a stone
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. firm — decided
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. firm — steady
  24. kick — in football

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