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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: drill · rule · jam · degree · court · stem · can · pound

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. drill — a practice
  4. degree — an amount
  5. court — for sport
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pound — a weight
  9. degree — temperature
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rule — a law
  14. drill — army training
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. can — to be able to
  18. drill — the tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — government
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. court — of law
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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