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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: pit · pop · degree · cabinet · stem · wake · fall · roll

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pop — soda
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pop — to visit
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fall — the season
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fall — to drop
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pop — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. roll — a list
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pit — a hole

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