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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: degree · pop · dip · present · stem · toast · shower · pitch

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. shower — to wash
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. present — the time now
  6. pop — music
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. degree — from a university
  10. toast — bread
  11. pitch — completely
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pop — soda
  17. present — a gift
  18. pop — to visit
  19. shower — rain
  20. degree — an amount
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. present — there
  24. dip — to sink

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