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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · spell · ball · season · stem · temple · track · degree

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a dance
  7. present — the time now
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ball — a great time
  10. track — a song
  11. degree — temperature
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. degree — from a university
  15. present — there
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. stem — to come from
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. present — a gift
  23. spell — a short time
  24. stem — a stem cell

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