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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: calf · mouse · stem · degree · net · march · bear · wake

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. march — music
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. net — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. net — for catching
  19. bear — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. march — the month
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wake — a trail
  24. degree — temperature

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