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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: stem · wave · ground · cap · mug · pop · degree · rock

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rock — a stone
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pop — music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. rock — music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mug — a face
  24. degree — an amount

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