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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: stem · board · row · dip · squash · degree · safe · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. row — a line
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. degree — an amount
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. board — to get on
  9. stem — to come from
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — from a university
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. dip — to sink
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. degree — temperature
  23. chair — a leader
  24. row — a quarrel

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